Health
Viruses make first appearance on government-issued carcinogens list
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 21, 2005
Hepatitis B and C, along with human papillomaviruses, have become the first viruses officially listed as cancer causes in a Dept. of Health and Human Services' bi-annual report.
The 11th edition of the Report on Carcinogens issued last month featured 17 new substances, bringing the list of cancer causing agents to a new high of 246.
"Among U.S. residents, one in two men and one in three women will develop cancer at some point in their lifetimes," said Kenneth Olden, PhD, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program. "Research shows that environmental factors trigger diseases like cancer, especially when someone has a family history."
New additions to the list also include several lead and lead compounds, x-rays and an assortment of compounds used in textile dyes.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/02/21/hlbf0221.htm.
