Evaluation of pesticides which pose carcinogenicity potential in animal testing. I. Developing a tumor data...

A modified-Squire carcinogen ranking system has been developed by the Worker Health and Safety Unit of the California Department of Food and Agriculture to deal with pesticides which pose carcinogenic potentials. For pesticide products that have been adequately tested with sufficient data for such evaluation, this system can provide an in-depth review which is necessary for the better understanding of a chemical under investigation. Only with such understanding can a product be placed in its proper perspective with respect to its carcinogenic potency. When applying this rather intensive tumor data evaluation system, a total scoring point and carcinogenicity categorization may be provided, which, in conjunction with human exposure information, may be adequate for regulatory decision making. Based upon the adequacy of tumor data, seven pesticides were investigated using the current tumor data evaluation system. These pesticides were chosen to demonstrate the stepwise evaluation procedure for carcinogenicity evaluation.