title: Thresholds for carcinogenesis and their significance to medical practice.
abstract: The Delaney Amendment covering the addition of carcinogens to foods, the Toxic Substances Control Act governing the release of carcinogens into water, and other regulations are based on a "no-threshold" concept. That is, they assume that any level above zero will induce cancer in an exposed population. The threshold concept holds that zero risk occurs at or below some finite exposure which is greater than zero. This paper shows that thresholds for carcinogenesis are in accord with common medical experience, and discusses the medical implications of thresholds.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008954:Models, Biological; D009313:National Health Programs; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced; D009678:Nuclear Energy; D011817:Rabbits; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental