Future research directions in the use of biomarkers

Many DNA adduct studies have been carried out in occupational groups that have been at a risk of cancer based on epidemiological results relating to exposure decades ago. Even new epidemiological publications on cancer cannot accurately address the effective exposures after about 1970. This is one justification for biomarker studies. Another justification is exposures for which epidemiological studies have not been conducted or have provided inadequate results, in spite of suspicions raised by short-term or animal experiments. The modulation of environment carcinogenesis by host polymorphism in genes for xenobiotic metabolizing and DNA repair enzymes is currently under extensive investigation. The studies relating phenotype/genotype to cancer are presently extended to various end points that may be related to cancer such as DNA adducts and cytogenetic damage. Adjustment for a metabolic phenotype or genotype may also increase the precision in the measurement. Mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes may give clues to the etiology of cancer.