Chemical Carcinogenesis

Abstract

Carcinogenesis by chemicals is a multistage process. The first stage, initiation, occurs rapidly and appears to be irreversible. The available data indicate that initiation generally results from one or more mutations of cellular DNA. Studies on mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis have led to the conclusion that cancer arises through three main mechanistic steps, namely initiation (the process of acquisition of genetic and epigenetic changes that sets the cell on path to cancer), promotion (a step during which the primed cells express). The use of the notion of three risk factors is adequate in approaching the complex process of carcinogenesis. The main carcinogenic factors can be grouped into: (a) primary determining factors; (b) secondary determining factors; and (c) favoring factors. There are cancers that are influenced by the hereditary factor. This chapter briefly describes the overview, key points, and relevant text that are in the format of problem-solving study questions followed by multiple-choice questions (MCQs) along with their answers.