Chemical carcinogens

Abstract

The development of cancer associated with exposure to chemical carcinogens is a reality and existing knowledge of these cancers is based on epidemiological, in vivo, and in vitro studies. Chemical carcinogens are present virtually everywhere and humans can be exposed to these compounds in food, air, water, their environment, or their workplace. This chapter is concerned with the main types of exogenous chemical carcinogens, how they are classified and their modes of action, absorption, and metabolism, as well as the principal tests available for evaluating their carcinogenicity. Only exogenous chemicals are considered in this chapter, since exogenous chemical carcinogens may be the major contributors to human cancer.