UNVEILING CARCINOGENS!!!

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A carcinogen is a substance, organism or agent capable of causing cancer. Carcinogens may occur naturally in the environment (such as ultraviolet rays in sunlight and certain viruses) or may be generated by humans (such as automobile exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke). Most carcinogens work by interacting with a cell’s DNA to produce mutations.  However, even the strongest carcinogen doesn’t raise a person’s risk for all cancer types, according to the American Cancer Society.


The US Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program, and the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer both use evidence-based approaches to catalog substances that are known or reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens.
The most recent IARC research lists 122 substances known to cause cancer, 93 substances that probably cause cancer and 319 substances that may cause cancer. This includes items like asbestos, automobile exhaust, processed meat, or ultraviolet rays. Exposure to a carcinogen does not necessarily mean you will get cancer.

HOW CARCINOGENS CAUSE CANCER?
Genes contain instruction manuals for making proteins. Proteins control millions of actions, including how cells grow and multiply. When a carcinogen changes your DNA, it triggers a chain reaction that turns normal cells into cancerous cells.
Sometimes, cells that typically repair DNA damage from carcinogens can’t take care of the issue. Left unrepaired, damaged DNA may lead to changes (Mutations) in certain genes.Depending on the specific mutation or change, your genes may start giving cells instructions to multiply uncontrollably, becoming cancerous tumor.

TYPES OF CARCINOGEN
The following are the three types of carcinogen according to IARC:
  • Physical carcinogen
  • Chemical carcinogen
  • Biological carcinogen

IARC CLASSIFICATION OF CARCINOGENS

Group 1: "Carcinogenic to humans" There is enough evidence to conclude that it can cause cancer in humans.

Group 2A: "Probably carcinogenic to humans" There is strong evidence that it can cause cancer in humans, but at present it is not conclusive.

Group 2B: "Possibly carcinogenic to humans" There is some evidence that it can cause cancer in humans but at present it is far from conclusive.

Group 3: "Unclassifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans" There is no evidence at present that it causes cancer in humans.

Group 4: "Probably not carcinogenic to humans" There is strong evidence that it does not cause cancer in humans.



    

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