Cancer is a major public health problem. Both inherited genes and environmental factors play a role in the development of cancer. Associations have also been documented between environmental pollutants and cancer. In general, cancers caused by occupational or environmental exposures are pathologically and clinically indistinguishable from other cancers. However, some cancers have a very high probability of being occupationally related, such as angiosarcoma of the liver due to vinyl chloride exposure, and mesothelioma from asbestos fiber exposure. Documentation of exposures that cause cancer relies heavily on epidemiological studies. Unfortunately, there are complicating factors, such as the long latency period before the cancers are actually diagnosed, well after many other workers had already been exposed. Therefore, what must the prevention of occupational and environmental cancers rely upon to predict effects on humans and establish limits for human exposure?
Cancer is a major public health problem. Both inherited genes and environmental factors play a role in the development of cancer. Associations have also been documented between environmental pollutants and cancer. In general, cancers caused by occupational or environmental exposures are pathologically and clinically indistinguishable from other cancers. However, some cancers have a very high probability of being occupationally related, such as angiosarcoma of the liver due to vinyl chloride exposure, and mesothelioma from asbestos fiber exposure. Documentation of exposures that cause cancer relies heavily on epidemiological studies. Unfortunately, there are complicating factors, such as the long latency period before the cancers are actually diagnosed, well after many other workers had already been exposed. Therefore, what must the prevention of occupational and environmental cancers rely upon to predict effects on humans and establish limits for human exposure?
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