IARC’s 1982 benzene human carcinogen assessment applied to microwaves

Abstract

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is a World Health Organization Department, with the responsibility to assess carcinogenic effects of environmental and occupational toxins. Epidemiology is the fundamental science and the strongest evidence for the assessment of human health effects of disease agents. In 1974 an IARC review concluded that animal carcinogenicity had not been demonstrated and human studies showed that benzene mixtures resulted in damage to the haematopoietic system with suggestion of leukaemia from several case studies and one Japanese case-control study. In 1982 the IARC re-evaluation reported that workers and the general public were exposed to Benzene from numerous sources including chemicals and the production and use of gasoline. IARCs 1982 re-evaluation concluded that benzene was a human carcinogen. Therefore it is appropriate to investigate what the level of evidence was for Benzene in 1982. If we apply the same principles and level of evidence to radar and microwave exposures up to 1982, would the evidence have reached or exceeded the IARC evaluation standard? This review shows that the evidence that microwaves enhanced the rates of cancer in people was stronger in 1982 than the evidence for Benzene.