International Agency for Research on Cancer

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is a World Health Organization agency that coordinates cancer research and evaluates evidence on cancer causes, including agents and exposures.

IARC Monographs: A series of scientific evaluations of agents, mixtures, and exposures that may cause cancer in humans. These publications are IARC’s principal vehicle for evaluating cancer hazards.
Carcinogen classification: The categorization of agents according to evidence that they can cause cancer. IARC’s groups communicate how strong the evidence of a cancer hazard is.
World Health Organization: A United Nations specialized agency that directs and coordinates international health work. IARC is a specialized agency within the WHO framework.
International Agency for Research on Cancer classification: A classification of cancer hazards based on the strength of evidence that an agent can cause cancer. The classification answers a hazard question, not how likely harm is under a specific exposure.
Carcinogenicity: The capacity of an agent or exposure to cause cancer. IARC evaluates whether evidence supports this capacity, not the size of risk at a particular dose.
Group 1 carcinogen: An agent classified by IARC as carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence or other specified evidence combinations. This category illustrates why IARC classification signals hazard rather than risk magnitude.
Lyon: A city in eastern France and the location of IARC’s headquarters. The agency has been headquartered in Lyon since its establishment.
United States Environmental Protection Agency: A United States federal agency that protects human health and the environment through regulation and other programs. Its chemical assessments can address regulatory decisions and exposure-specific risks beyond IARC’s remit.
Hazard and Risk: Hazard is the potential to cause harm; risk is the likelihood of harm under specified conditions. IARC classifications concern cancer hazard, not an individual’s level of risk.
Tobacco smoking: The inhalation of smoke from burning tobacco products, exposing users to carcinogenic chemicals. IARC evaluations of tobacco helped establish its causal link to cancer.

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