Molecular epidemiology of environmental carcinogenesis

Environmental factors such as smoking, diet, and pollutants act in concert with individual susceptibility to cause most human cancers. This article briefly reviews molecular evidence that two types of susceptibility factors--common predisposing genetic traits and young age at exposure--convey heightened risk from certain exposures. Examples are drawn from molecular epidemiologic studies of common environmental carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and aromatic amines. Understanding of both genetic and acquired susceptibility in the population will be instrumental in developing health and regulatory policies that adequately protect of the more susceptible groups from risks of environmental carcinogens.