Proposal: U.S. To Adopt Stricter Cancer Guidelines for Kids

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http://ens-news.com/ens/mar2003/2003-03-04-10.asp

 

U.S. To Adopt Stricter Cancer Guidelines for Kids

 

 

By J.R. Pegg

WASHINGTON, DC, March 4, 2003 (ENS) - The final draft of revised U.S. federal

guidelines for cancer risk assessment assumes that children are more vulnerable

to the effects of certain carcinogens than adults. It is the first time the U.S.

government has officially accepted this position.

The move could change the way the federal government devises rules and policies

to limit the American public's exposure to environmental pollutants.

" This is a really big step and has far reaching implications for protecting

children's health, " said Jane Houlihan, vice president of research for

Environmental Working Group, a non profit environmental research organization.

" The government's message is simple. Children are at greater risk from exposure

to carcinogens than adults. "

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) final draft of new guidelines

for cancer risk assessment, released yesterday, " explicitly recognizes that

variation exists among people in their susceptibility to carcinogens. "

The final draft considers children age two and younger to have 10 times the

cancer risk of adults when exposed to mutagenic carcinogens, which cause cancer

through direct damage to DNA.

Children have increased cancer risk compared to adults. (Photo by Jessica

Finkle courtesy Purdue)Children age two through 15 would be considered to have

three times the risk of adults.

Mutagenic carcinogens include arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, mutagen X,

brominated organics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

EPA's guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment are the framework for agency

scientists to assess possible cancer risks from exposures to environmental

pollutants. They are used throughout the federal government to evaluate risks

from environmental pollutants.

These guidelines have not been updated since they were first issued in 1986 and

the current review is intended to make greater use of the increasing scientific

understanding of risks from carcinogens.The proposed updates to these guidelines

could prompt reevaluation of existing standards.

For its review, EPA analyzed 23 peer reviewed studies of cancer incidence from

the past 50 years.

There is increasing scientific evidence that children face much higher cancer

risks from exposure to environmental pollutants than adults. (Photo courtesy The

National Children's Cancer Society)Environmentalists and public health advocates

said the new guidance is a good first step, but some are concerned it does not

consider gender differences in cancer risks and worried that it could allow new

guidelines for adult risks to carcinogens to be weakened.

And EPA has evidence that supports increasing the risk standard for children

even further, Houlihan said.

The figure of 10 times used by EPA for children under two years of age is the

average of its analysis, but some mutagenic carcinogens have been shown to be

some 65 times more potent when exposure occurs during childhood.

EPA data shows that half of lifetime cancer risk accumulates in the first two

years of life, Houlihan said, and the agency should extend its guidance to cover

carcinogens that act through other mechanisms than mutagenicity, such as

phthalates and atrazine.

" The guidelines need to extend to all carcinogens, " said Houlihan.

EPA's review finds not enough available data to determine cancer risk assessment

from non mutagenic carcinogens for specific segments of the population. It

suggests that a variety of approaches still need to be developed and additional

research is required.

Some mutagenic carcinogens are 65 times more potent when exposure occurs during

childhood. (Photo courtesy Hugs and Hope)The increasing scientific evidence that

children face higher risks from exposure to carcinogens prompted the agency to

release for public review and comment draft supplemental guidance for assessing

early life exposure to carcinogens.

The supplemental guidance is part of the agency's response to a 1994

recommendation by the National Research Council that " EPA should assess risks to

infants and children whenever it appears that their risks might be greater than

those of adults. "

The final draft guidelines on risk assessment, according to EPA, reflect many of

the comments and suggestions provided to EPA by public and independent

scientific peer reviews.

The public can submit comments on the proposed guidelines through May 1, 2003.

They will take effect after a final review by an independent scientific advisory

board.

More information on the proposed guidelines can be found at:

http://epa.gov/ncea/raf/cancer2003.htm

 

 

 

 

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