Pearce, Neil E, Blair, Aaron, Vineis, Paolo, Ahrens, Wolfgang, Andersen, Aage, Anto, Josep M, Armstrong, Bruce K, Baccarelli, Andrea A, Beland, Frederick A, Berrington, Amy, Bertazzi, Pier A, Birnbaum, Linda S, Brownson, Ross C, Bucher, John R, Cantor, Kenneth P, Cardis, Elisabeth, Cherrie, John W, Christiani, David C, Cocco, Pierluigi, Coggon, David, Comba, Pietro, Demers, Paul A, Dement, John M, Douwes, Jeroen, Eisen, Ellen A, Engel, Lawrence S, Fenske, Richard A, Fleming, Lora E, Fletcher, Tony, Fontham, Elizabeth, Forastiere, Francesco, Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer, Fritschi, Lin, Gerin, Michel, Goldberg, Marcel, Grandjean, Philippe, Grimsrud, Tom K, Gustavsson, Per, Haines, Andy, Hartge, Patricia, Hansen, Johnni, Hauptmann, Michael, Heederik, Dick, Hemminki, Kari, Hemon, Denis, Hertz-Picciotto, Irva, Hoppin, Jane A, Huff, James, Jarvholm, Bengt, Kang, Daehee, Karagas, Margaret R, Kjaerheim, Kristina, Kjuus, Helge, Kogevinas, Manolis, Kriebel, David, Kristensen, Petter, Kromhout, Hans, Laden, Francine, Lebailly, Pierre, LeMasters, Grace, Lubin, Jay H, Lynch, Charles F, Lynge, Elsebeth, 't Mannetje, Andrea, McMichael, Anthony J, McLaughlin, John R, Marrett, Loraine, Martuzzi, Marco, Merchant, James A, Merler, Enzo, Merletti, Franco, Miller, Anthony, Mirer, Franklin E, Monson, Richard, Nordby, Karl-Kristian, Olshan, Andrew F, Parent, Marie-Elise, Perera, Frederica P, Perry, Melissa J, Pesatori, Angela C, Pirastu, Roberta, Porta, Miquel, Pukkala, Eero, Rice, Carol, Richardson, David B, Ritter, Leonard, Ritz, Beate, Ronckers, Cecile M, Rushton, Lesley, Rusiecki, Jennifer A, Rusyn, Ivan, Samet, Jonathan M, Sandler, Dale P, de Sanjose, Silvia, Schernhammer, Eva, Seniori Constantini, Adele, Seixas, Noah, Shy, Carl, Siemiatycki, Jack, Silvermann, Debra T, Simonato, Lorenzo, Smith, Allan H, Smith, Martyn T, Spinelli, John J, Spitz, Margaret R, Stallones, Lorann, Stayner, Leslie T, Steenland, Kyle, Stenzel, Mark, Stewart, Bernard W, Stewart, Patricia A, Symanski, Elaine, Terracini, Benedetto, Tolbert, Paige E, Vainio, Harri, Vena, John, Vermeulen, Roel, Victora, Cesar G, Ward, Elizabeth M, Weinberg, Clarice R, Weisenburger, Dennis, Wesseling, Catharina, Weiderpass, Elisabete, Zahm, Shelia H, Risk Assessment, Infection & Immunity, dIRAS RA-I&I RA, dIRAS RA-2, LS IRAS EEPI GRA (Gezh.risico-analyse), LS IRAS EEPI EXAS (Arb.hyg+bl.st.kar.), CCA -Cancer Center Amsterdam, APH - Amsterdam Public Health, Paediatric Oncology, The University of Sydney, CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Universita degli Studi di Cagliari [Cagliari], Cohortes épidémiologiques en population (CONSTANCES), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Université Paris-Saclay-Université de Paris (UP), Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS (U1153 / UMR_A_1125 / UMR_S_1153)), Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC)-Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5 (UPD5)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra [Barcelona] (UPF)-Catalunya ministerio de salud, Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU), Institut Armand Frappier (INRS-IAF), Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP)-Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique [Québec] (INRS), Movement Disorders and Tourette Centre, Rockefeller University [New York], Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Université de Montréal (UdeM), Plymouth University, Siemens [New York], Siemens AG [Munich], Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MEB), Karolinska Institutet [Stockholm], Population-Based Epidemiological Cohorts, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-AP-HP Hôpital Paul Brousse, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5 (UPD5)-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Universitat Pompeu Fabra [Barcelona]-Catalunya ministerio de salud, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique [Québec] (INRS)-Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur (RIIP), Rockefeller University, Risk Assessment, Infection & Immunity, dIRAS RA-I&I RA, dIRAS RA-2, LS IRAS EEPI GRA (Gezh.risico-analyse), LS IRAS EEPI EXAS (Arb.hyg+bl.st.kar.), Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5 (UPD5)-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC), The University of Sydney [Sydney], Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines ( UVSQ ) -Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale ( INSERM ) -AP-HP Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique Sorbonne Paris Cité ( CRESS (U1153 / UMR_A 1125) ), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique ( INRA ) -Université Sorbonne Paris Cité ( USPC ) -Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale ( INSERM ), Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology ( CREAL ), Université de Caen Normandie ( UNICAEN ), Normandie Université ( NU ), Institut Armand Frappier ( INRS-IAF ), Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique [Québec] ( INRS ) -Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur ( RIIP ) -Institut Armand Frappier, Rockefeller University, New York, Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal ( CRCHUM ), and Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics ( MEB )
BACKGROUND: Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Programme for the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans has been criticized for several of its evaluations, and also for the approach used to perform these evaluations. Some critics have claimed that failures of IARC Working Groups to recognize study weaknesses and biases of Working Group members have led to inappropriate classification of a number of agents as carcinogenic to humans.OBJECTIVES: The authors of this Commentary are scientists from various disciplines relevant to the identification and hazard evaluation of human carcinogens. We examined criticisms of the IARC classification process to determine the validity of these concerns. Here, we present the results of that examination, review the history of IARC evaluations, and describe how the IARC evaluations are performed.DISCUSSION: We concluded that these recent criticisms are unconvincing. The procedures employed by IARC to assemble Working Groups of scientists from the various disciplines and the techniques followed to review the literature and perform hazard assessment of various agents provide a balanced evaluation and an appropriate indication of the weight of the evidence. Some disagreement by individual scientists to some evaluations is not evidence of process failure. The review process has been modified over time and will undoubtedly be altered in the future to improve the process. Any process can in theory be improved, and we would support continued review and improvement of the IARC processes. This does not mean, however, that the current procedures are flawed.CONCLUSIONS: The IARC Monographs have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the scientific underpinning for societal actions to improve the public's health.CITATION: Pearce N, Blair A, Vineis P, Ahrens W, Andersen A, Anto JM, Armstrong BK, Baccarelli AA, Beland FA, Berrington A, Bertazzi PA, Birnbaum LS, Brownson RC, Bucher JR, Cantor KP, Cardis E, Cherrie JW, Christiani DC, Cocco P, Coggon D, Comba P, Demers PA, Dement JM, Douwes J, Eisen EA, Engel LS, Fenske RA, Fleming LE, Fletcher T, Fontham E, Forastiere F, Frentzel-Beyme R, Fritschi L, Gerin M, Goldberg M, Grandjean P, Grimsrud TK, Gustavsson P, Haines A, Hartge P, Hansen J, Hauptmann M, Heederik D, Hemminki K, Hemon D, Hertz-Picciotto I, Hoppin JA, Huff J, Jarvholm B, Kang D, Karagas MR, Kjaerheim K, Kjuus H, Kogevinas M, Kriebel D, Kristensen P, Kromhout H, Laden F, Lebailly P, LeMasters G, Lubin JH, Lynch CF, Lynge E, 't Mannetje A, McMichael AJ, McLaughlin JR, Marrett L, Martuzzi M, Merchant JA, Merler E, Merletti F, Miller A, Mirer FE, Monson R, Nordby KC, Olshan AF, Parent ME, Perera FP, Perry MJ, Pesatori AC, Pirastu R, Porta M, Pukkala E, Rice C, Richardson DB, Ritter L, Ritz B, Ronckers CM, Rushton L, Rusiecki JA, Rusyn I, Samet JM, Sandler DP, de Sanjose S, Schernhammer E, Seniori Costantini A, Seixas N, Shy C, Siemiatycki J, Silverman DT, Simonato L, Smith AH, Smith MT, Spinelli JJ, Spitz MR, Stallones L, Stayner LT, Steenland K, Stenzel M, Stewart BW, Stewart PA, Symanski E, Terracini B, Tolbert PE, Vainio H, Vena J, Vermeulen R, Victora CG, Ward EM, Weinberg CR, Weisenburger D, Wesseling C, Weiderpass E, Zahm SH. 2015. IARC Monographs: 40 years of evaluating carcinogenic hazards to humans. Environ Health Perspect 123:507-514; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409149.