The U.S. EPA Conference on Preventable Causes of Cancer in Children: a research agenda

On 15-16 September 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsored the Conference on Preventable Causes of Cancer in Children. The conference was convened to examine rising trends in reported incidence of childhood cancer and the association of these trends with environmental exposures. This paper summarizes recommendations for future research offered by participants. These recommendations included more collaborative research integrating epidemiology, molecular biology, toxicology, and risk assessment; the development of better protocols for toxicologic testing including carcinogenicity using young animals; and research focused on specific periods of development during which susceptibility to environmental agents may be enhanced. Also recommended was enhanced use and development of molecular biomarkers for identification of susceptible populations, and documentation of exposures and effects in epidemiologic and toxicologic studies. Although toxicologic testing is considered essential to determine the effects of potential carcinogens on biological organisms, participants emphasized the need to link these findings with epidemiologic and exposure assessment research.