[Program of the International Center for Cancer Research: Epidemiological approach]

The development of the International Agency for Research on Cancer is discussed and its programme outlined. The programme of the Agency is largely directed to epidemiological studies which are co-ordinated with laboratory studies. The objective is to make use of geographical variations in cancer incidence as a means of identifying causative factors. The nature, and the difference between analytical and descriptive epidemiology, are discussed. The possible significance of industrial hazards in modern societies is reviewed. The epidemiological approach to the identification of the causation of cancer of the oesophagus and liver is summarized, as is also the possibility of applying epidemiological techniques to the study of host factors.