Towards Understanding Carcinogenic Hazards: A Crisis in Paradigms. (Reannouncement with New Availability Information).

摘要

Ever since our awareness of the biological/ health hazards of increased radiation and chemical exposure became heightened, a tremendous amount of human scientific effort and societies' resources have been directed towards understanding the basic causes of the wide variety of diseases induced by these agents. While it is fair to say that much valuable information on the mechanisms by which radiation and chemicals can induce birth defects, cancers, reproductive dysfunction, neurotoxicities, and other acute and chronic diseases has been produced, our understanding is far from complete. A dilemma has been created by the practical problem of having to make difficult decisions on the use of chemical and radiation-generating technologies, in all aspects of modern life, with incomplete knowledge. These decisions to produce and use or not to produce and use chemicals must include information pertaining not only to the potential deleterious health and environmental consequences of their use but also to the potential deleterious health and environmental, as well as economic and esthetic consequences, if they are not used. To help narrow this immense problem, this paper will focus on cancer risks (although it should be apparent, subsequently, that much of this analysis has relevance to birth defects and other chronic diseases). The objective will be to challenge the current paradigm shaping much of the scientific community's and, therefore, the government's regulatory units' view of carcinogenesis.