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Dietary carcinogens, environmental pollution, and cancer: some misconceptions
1Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
Medical Oncology and Tumor Pharmacotherapy
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Most dietary pesticides are natural plant toxins. Animal testing at high doses may indicate cell proliferation, a cancer risk factor, rather than chemical carcinogenicity.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Carcinogenesis
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Dietary carcinogens and pesticide residues are often misunderstood.
- Plants produce numerous natural toxins to deter predators.
- Many tested natural pesticides show carcinogenic potential in animal studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address misconceptions regarding dietary carcinogens and cancer causation.
- To evaluate the carcinogenic potential of natural pesticides.
- To re-examine the interpretation of animal cancer test results.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing data on natural and synthetic pesticides.
- Analysis of animal cancer test results, focusing on high-dose testing.
- Discussion of the role of cell proliferation in carcinogenesis.
Main Results:
- Approximately 99.99% of dietary pesticides are naturally occurring plant toxins.
- About half of tested natural pesticides are carcinogenic in animal studies, similar to synthetic chemicals.
- High-dose animal testing may primarily reflect chronic cell proliferation, a threshold process.
Conclusions:
- The interpretation of animal cancer tests requires careful consideration of dose and biological mechanisms.
- Chronic cell proliferation, induced by high-dose testing, is a mutagenic process and a potential cancer risk factor.
- Misconceptions about pesticide safety and cancer causation should be clarified based on scientific evidence.