Inferred risks of cancer involve exposure to an agent that may be carcinogenic, though the evidence comes primarily from laboratory studies involving animals.
Occupational exposure to chemicals for which some evidence of carcinogenicity is available
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Situation
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Occupational exposure to chemicals for which some evidence of carcinogenicity is available
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Exposure
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Various specific workers
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Presumed carcinogen
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Occupational exposure in dry cleaning;
Work involving
Acrylontrile
Chloroform
DDT
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Principal route of exposure
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Inhalation and possibly dermal
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Lung & other sites including leukaemia
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Comment
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Following exposure to many agents, attributing risk to single agents, most of which are categorized as possibly carcinogenic to humans, is difficult.
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Agricultural work involving herbicides
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Situation
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Agricultural work involving herbicides
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Exposure
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Farmers, forestry workers
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Presumed carcinogen
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Chlorophenoxy and possibly other compounds
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Principal route of exposure
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Inhalation and dermal
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Lymphoma
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Comment
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Lymphoma risk associated with agricultural work rather than specific chemicals.
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Residential exposure to insecticides
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Situation
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Residential exposure to insecticides
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Exposure
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Occupants of sprayed houses
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Presumed carcinogen
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Many including
Chlordane
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Principal route of exposure
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Inhalation & dermal
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Breast and various sites investigated
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Comment
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Increasingly better indicators of exposure are being used.
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Environment exposure to DDT
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Situation
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Environment exposure to DDT
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Exposure
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Young women
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Presumed carcinogen
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DDT
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Principal route of exposure
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Not clear
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Breast
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Comment
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Exposure determined by levels of DDT in serum.
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Heterocyclic amines in cooked meat and fish
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Situation
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Heterocyclic amines in cooked meat and fish
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Exposure
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Whole population
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Presumed carcinogen
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Multiple compounds including PhIP
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Principal route of exposure
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Ingestion
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Colo-rectum, prostate and possibly other sites
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Comment
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Impact of specific chemicals as mediating dietary-associated risk is difficult to resolve.
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Chloroform in toothpaste
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Situation
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Chloroform in toothpaste
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Exposure
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Consumers of the product
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Presumed carcinogen
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Chloroform
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Principal route of exposure
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Ingestion
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Not clear
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Comment
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Usage discontinued in many countries.
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Polybrominated biphenyls as flame retardant
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Situation
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Polybrominated biphenyls as flame retardant
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Exposure
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Children primarily and otherwise, whole population
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Presumed carcinogen
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Polybrominated biphenyls
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Principal route of exposure
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Oral and dermal exposure of infants
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Not clear
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Comment
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Relatively new compound
Blood levels rising in general US population
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Contaminated honey
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Situation
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Contaminated honey
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Exposure
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Consumers of the product
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Presumed carcinogen
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Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
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Principal route of exposure
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Ingestion
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Comment
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Dietary intake of extremely low concentrations
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Pollutants and pesticide residues in breast milk
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Situation
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Pollutants and pesticide residues in breast milk
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Exposure
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Infants
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Presumed carcinogen
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Various pesticides, polychlorinated bipenyls
TCDD
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Principal route of exposure
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Oral exposure of infants
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Not clear
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Comment
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Infants considered to be a most vulnerable population. Compounds may be detectable long after usage ceases.
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Personal use of hair colouring agents
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Situation
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Personal use of hair colouring agents
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Exposure
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Users of hair dyes (predominantly women)
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Presumed carcinogen
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Not clear; dye formulations subject to change over time.
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Principal route of exposure
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Dermal
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Hematopoietic neoplasms
Urinary bladder
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Comment
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Evidence of dye absorption.
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Environmental exposure causing childhood leukemia
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Situation
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Environmental exposure causing childhood leukemia
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Exposure
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Children
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Presumed carcinogen
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Multiple pollutants implicated
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Principal route of exposure
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Main route not clear, but presumably including inhalation, oral and dermal
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Leukaemia
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Comment
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Relevant environmental exposures also include infection-related risk factors
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Residence near power lines
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Situation
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Residence near power lines
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Exposure
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Children
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Presumed carcinogen
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Extremely low frequency electric & magnetic fields
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Principal route of exposure
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Irradiation
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Leukaemia
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Comment
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Causality not established but reported associations cannot be discounted.
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Perineal use of talc-based body powder
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Situation
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Perineal use of talc-based body powder
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Exposure
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Women using body powder
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Presumed carcinogen
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Talc used in this manner
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Principal route of exposure
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Retrograde absorption via reproductive tract
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Likely target organ (or tumour type)
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Ovary
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Comment
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Not supported by relevant experimental findings
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This information is based on peer review research published in the journal: B.W. Stewart, Banding carcinogenic risks in developed countries: A procedural basis for qualitative assessment, Mutat. Res.: Rev. Mutat. Res. (2008), doi:10.1016/j.mrrev.2007.11.007.