title: Environmental toxicants, epigenetics, and cancer.
abstract: Tumorigenesis, a complex and multifactorial progressive process of transformation of normal cells into malignant cells, is characterized by the accumulation of multiple cancer-specific heritable phenotypes triggered by the mutational and/or non-mutational (i.e., epigenetic) events. Accumulating evidence suggests that environmental and occupational exposures to natural substances, as well as man-made chemical and physical agents, play a causative role in human cancer. In a broad sense, carcinogenesis may be induced through either genotoxic or non-genotoxic mechanisms; however, both genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens also cause prominent epigenetic changes. This review presents current evidence of the epigenetic alterations induced by various chemical carcinogens, including arsenic, 1,3-butadine, and pharmaceutical and biological agents, and highlights the potential for epigenetic changes to serve as markers for carcinogen exposure and cancer risk assessment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemical Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA. igor.pogribny@fda.hhs.gov
authors.forename: Igor P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Pogribny
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rusyn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants