IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Volume 98: Painting, Firefighting and Shiftwork. International Agency for Research on Cancer

Abstract

Soon after the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) was established in 1965, it was petitioned to develop a list of chemical carcinogens. Thus was borne the IARC monographs, a uniquely valuable series of evidence-based critical evaluations by world-renowned experts in cancer epidemiology. With time enquiries expanded to encompass lifestyle factors, physical agents and work activities where suspected agents were complex or unclear. This monograph, which covers an eclectic but important mix of work activities, is a case in point. What will the reader find in this book? A thorough description of relevant workplace exposures, plentiful research data on cancer risks and a ‘gold standard’ review which is second to none in its detail and the expertise of its contributors. By way of illustration, the section on shiftworking weighs in at 203 pages and covers: the legal regulation of shiftworking; biomarkers of circadian dysregulation; detailed evidence tables on breast, prostate, colon and endometrial cancer; expositions on the pineal gland, melatonin, prolactin, circadian gene functions, and mooted mechanisms of carcinogenicity; intriguing animal experiments (involving, for example, constant light and chronic jet lag in mice) and an overall evaluation of cancer risk. What are its shortcomings? At 804 pages, this technical opus is only for committed readers. Like the monograph series, it is a state-of-play reference text, rather than a primer for jobbing practitioners. Also like the series, it is not a passport to prevention. The purpose of the monographs lies mainly in resolving disagreements about causation (which sometimes lurk still below the surface), rather than proposing optimal risk controls. Who should buy the book? No-one: it is freely distributed on IARC's website. Who should read it in depth? Researchers and practitioners requiring to be exceptionally informed about cancer risks in these occupations. For others, the book's short summary passages will suffice. This is a text for the reference library—a splendid one in which the Agency can take justifiable pride. ☆☆ (Reference only)