Occupational and environmental carcinogens: Hazard identification and risk assessment

The evaluation of carcinogenic potential of environmental and occupational exposures has the ultimate objective to contribute to cancer prevention. The paradigm of risk assessment is based on the integration of hazard identification, models of carcinogenesis and exposure levels to produce estimates of risk for specific exposure circumstances. In some instances, however, a classification based on hazard has not been followed by considerations of the potential risk under different exposure situations, leading to possible misconception among regulatory authorities and the general public. In other instances, the conclusions of hazard identification have not been integrated by risk assessment, even if the latter has been conducted by regulatory authorities. The International Workshop “Occupational and Environmental Carcinogens: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment” aims at providing a multidisciplinary overview of established and novel approaches for hazard identification and risk assessment of occupational and environmental carcinogens, as well as their integration, and discussing challenges in relevant methodological research.