Mechanisms of environmental and occupational carcinogenesis

Abstract

Carcinogenesis is a complex, multistep process, involving accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations that confer a growth and/or survival advantage, through which cells gradually achieve unchecked growth and eventually become fully malignant and invasive. There are numerous sources of physical, chemical, and biological exposures that stem from endogenous and exogenous sources-including occupational settings-that can induce such genetic and epigenetic alterations. This damage is repaired through a high-fidelity DNA repair process that operates through multiple pathways, although the system is imperfect and varies by repair mechanism, potentially resulting in incorporation of DNA damage and epigenetic alterations. This chapter provides an introduction to mechanisms of environmental and occupational carcinogenesis and DNA repair, and provides examples of physical and chemical carcinogens and epigenetic effectors.