Trichloroethylene: Using new information to improve the cancer characterization

Assessments of TCE's potential to cause cancer in humans have had to addres s issues concerning the strength of the human evidence and the relevance of the animal tumors to humans. The epidemiological database now includes ana lyses of multiple studies and molecular information. A recent analysis stro ngly suggests that TCE may induce cancer in humans at multiple sites, inclu ding kidney, liver, and lympho-hematopoietic cancer. Molecular analyses hav e found mutations of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene in renal t umors of TCE-exposed individuals. The animal bioassays have been followed u p with mechanistic studies that provide insight into TCE's possible modes o f action at each tumor site. This information suggests that TCE may act thr ough mechanisms that can be relevant to human cancers. The mechanistic info rmation can also be used to identify risk factors that may make some people more susceptible to TCE's adverse effects, allowing a fuller characterizat ion of TCE's cancer potential in different groups of people.