THE USE OF MECHANISTIC DATA IN THE RISK ASSESSMENTS OF 10 CHEMICALS -AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CHEMICAL-SPECIFIC REVIEWS

The International Expert Panel on Carcinogen Risk Assessment of the Am erican Health Foundation has planned, directed and reviewed in depth a nalyses of mechanistic data for 10 rodent carcinogens. The purpose of this review was to illustrate the use of mechanistic data in carcinoge n risk assessment. The mechanisms by which a chemical produces cancer in rodents provided important information for determining whether or n ot humans would be at risk at low exposure levels. For epigenetic (non -DNA-reactive) carcinogens, current exposure levels for these chemical s below a threshold do not pose a risk. For DNA-reactive agents at suf ficient exposures, humans would be expected to be at risk. However, pr otective mechanisms may lower the expected risk, especially at low-lev el exposures.