IARC

IARC is the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is best known for evaluating whether substances cause cancer in humans and publishing those findings in its Monographs series. IARC has classified all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, as Group 1 carcinogens, meaning there is sufficient evidence they cause cancer in humans.

Origin

IARC was established in 1965 by a resolution of the World Health Assembly, founded at the initiative of French oncologist Antoine Lacassagne and others concerned about rising global cancer rates. Its Monographs Programme, which evaluates carcinogenic risks, began in 1971.

Significance in Asbestos Context

IARC's classification of all asbestos fiber types as Group 1 human carcinogens is one of the most authoritative scientific findings in asbestos litigation and public health. This designation undercuts the longstanding industry argument, particularly from chrysotile producers, that white asbestos is safer than amphibole forms. IARC monographs are routinely cited by treating physicians, expert witnesses, and courts to establish that asbestos causes mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and laryngeal cancer. For patients, IARC findings provide independent international scientific consensus that supports the causal link between their exposure and their disease.

Related Terms

Group 1 Carcinogen, World Health Organization, Helsinki Criteria, Chrysotile, Amphibole, Causation

Notes

• Ask your legal team whether IARC Monograph Volume 100C (2012), the most recent comprehensive asbestos evaluation, has been included in the expert materials supporting your case.
• If a defendant argues that chrysotile is less harmful or non-carcinogenic, the IARC Group 1 classification directly contradicts that position and should be raised by your experts.
• IARC findings can also support claims involving less commonly recognized asbestos-related cancers, such as ovarian and laryngeal cancer. Mention any such diagnosis to your attorney.
• Preserve any occupational health materials, MSDS sheets, or warning labels from your workplace that reference (or fail to reference) IARC classifications, as these can show what employers knew.

In our library

1 document in our library name IARC, by collection.

Motley 1000 (1)

• International Agency for Research on Cancer Press Release, Asbestos and Cancer: A New Evaluation (1976) (publisher)

In the Union Carbide documents

IARC is named in 49 Union Carbide documents dated 1972 to 1988 (3 as the source, 49 mentioned), from asbestos lawsuits over Union Carbide's Calidria asbestos. All are published in our collection.

• E. C. Hammond and I. J. Selikoff, 'Relation of Cigarette Smoking to Risk of Death of Asbestos-Associated Disease among Insulation Workers in the United States' (IARC Scientific Publication No. 8) (1972) UC-2393 (source, mentioned)
• Report of the Advisory Committee on Asbestos Cancers to the Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (1972 meeting, Lyon) UC-5213 (mentioned)
• Report of the Advisory Committee on Asbestos Cancers to the Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (1972 meeting), with Target Health Hazard Fact Sheet on Silica UC-5401 (source, mentioned)
• The Northern Miner: 'Asbestos completely exonerated as dangerous to public health' (1973) UC-192 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers, 'Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics,' Calidria Asbestos Paper for the Society of Plastics Engineers (1973) UC-180 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers, 'Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics,' Society of Plastics Engineers Conference Paper, with Appended R&D Respiratory Protection Notice (1973) UC-2913 (mentioned)
• Compilation of Lewinsohn Asbestos Health Papers and Related Articles, Including 'Health Hazards of Asbestos: A Review of Recent Trends' (1974) UC-1284 (mentioned)
• Hilton C. Lewinsohn, 'Health Hazards of Asbestos: A Review of Recent Trends' (1974) UC-2590 (mentioned)
• Asbestos Information Association Letters to the Editors of Consumers Research (1974) and The Wall Street Journal (1972) UC-1642 (mentioned)
• Asbestos Information Association to the Editor of Consumers Research on Beatrice Trum Hunter's Asbestos Article (1974) UC-5216 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers, Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics, Paper Presented to the Society of Plastics Engineers (1974) Union Carbide 285 (mentioned)
• J. L. Myers, "Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics," Annotated Speech Script for 5/14/74 Session (1974) UC-3144 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers, 'Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics,' Paper Presented to the Society of Plastics Engineers (1974) UC-3957 (mentioned)
• I. J. Selikoff, 'Air Pollution and Asbestos Carcinogenesis: Investigation of Possible Synergism,' IARC Scientific Publication No. 16 (1975) UC-1454 (mentioned)
• H. B. Rhodes to J. V. Murray on Dow Toxicology Literature, Transmitting Myers Plastics Paper, Talk Script and RG-244 Brochure (1975) UC-1646 (mentioned)
• H. B. Rhodes to Peter Zschunke (Grace GmbH) on FDA Asbestos Filter Rules, with Enclosures (1975) UC-1354 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers, "Handling Asbestos: Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics," Journal of Paint Technology (1975) UC-2631 (mentioned)
• John L. Myers to D. Varacallo, Jr., Journal of Coatings Technology, Returning Marked Proofs of "Handling Asbestos: Chrysotile Asbestos in Plastics" (1975) UC-181 (mentioned)
• Craig Vogt, "Revision of the 1983 Effluent Guidelines: The Role of Toxic Compounds," Tappi (July 1977) UC-3552 (mentioned)
• Asbestos International Association Circulars on Asbestos, Smoking and Lung Cancer and the UK Advisory Committee on Asbestos Evidence (1979) UC-1614 (mentioned)
• H. C. Lewinsohn, Discussion Summary on Radiology and Medical Surveillance of Asbestos-Exposed Workers, IARC Scientific Publications No. 30 (1980) Union Carbide 537 (mentioned)
• H. C. Lewinsohn, Discussion Summary on Radiology and Medical Surveillance of Asbestos-Exposed Workers, Biological Effects of Mineral Fibres, Vol. 2 (1980) UC-1277 (mentioned)
• Lewinsohn, Meigs, Teta and Flannery, The Influence of Occupational and Environmental Asbestos Exposure on the Incidence of Malignant Mesothelioma in Connecticut (1980) UC-4096 (mentioned)
• H. C. Lewinsohn, Discussion Summary on Radiology and Medical Surveillance of Asbestos-Exposed Workers, in Biological Effects of Mineral Fibres, Vol. 2 (1980) UC-4546 (source, mentioned)
• O. J. Malacarne to F. L. Dedrickson, J. F. Frost and L. A. Wright Forwarding Articles on the Causes of Cancer (1980) UC-349 (mentioned)
• Asbestos International Association Director-General's Notes for Associations on Panel Activities, EEC Matters and Regulation (1980) UC-3937 (mentioned)
• Asbestos International Association Notes for Associations on Panels, EEC and National Regulation, and U.S. Rulemaking (1980) UC-4876 (mentioned)
• NIOSH-OSHA Asbestos Work Group, Workplace Exposure to Asbestos: Review and Recommendations (1980) Union Carbide 551A (mentioned)
• Hilton C. Lewinsohn to J. Wister Meigs Transmitting Draft Proposal for a General Electric Mesothelioma Case-Control Study (1982) UC-4221 (mentioned)
• Hilton C. Lewinsohn to J. Wister Meigs Enclosing Draft Proposal for a Study of Mesothelioma Among General Electric Employees (1982) UC-5137 (mentioned)
• Hilton C. Lewinsohn to Raymond L. H. Murphy, Jr., on Comments on the Asbestos Criteria Document Manuscript (1983) UC-2373 (mentioned)
• Hilton C. Lewinsohn to Raymond L. H. Murphy, Jr., M.D., Commenting on the Draft Asbestos Criteria Document (1983) UC-2587 (mentioned)
• Asbestos International Association Transmittal of Dr. R. Murray's Report 'Asbestos in the U.S.S.R.' on His Visit to the Soviet Union (1984) UC-3319 (mentioned)
• Asbestos International Association Conference List No. 34, Agenda Item 4(a) for the 12th Medical Advisory Panel Meeting (1984) UC-3315 (mentioned)
• Calidria Corporation Material Safety Data Sheet for Calidria Asbestos (1984), with C. V. McClung to M. R. Huffman on Asbestos MSDS Worksheets (1986) UC-1419 (mentioned)
• V. D. Dutcher to Plant Managers on Community Hazard Communication, with Hazardous Chemical Lists and OSHA Guidance (1985) UC-1006 (mentioned)
• Union Carbide MSDS Cover Sheet and Occupational Health Services Material Safety Data Sheet for Asbestos (1986) UC-789 (mentioned)
• Occupational Health Services, Inc. Material Safety Data Sheet for Asbestos, with Union Carbide Additional Information Page (1986) UC-2291 (mentioned)
• Occupational Health Services, Inc. Material Safety Data Sheet for Asbestos (1986) UC-4168 (mentioned)
• Dow Chemical Company, Texas Operations Asbestos Handbook (Revised November 1988) UC-1082 (mentioned)
• Curriculum Vitae of Hilton Cecil Lewinsohn, Union Carbide Medical Director, Chemicals & Plastics Group Union Carbide 25 (mentioned)
• Review of Asbestos-Health Literature (undated), bound with 1963 Union Carbide Institute Plant Insulation Shop Dust Survey UC-170 (mentioned)
• UCAR Emulsion Systems Material Safety Data Sheets for UCAR Acrylic, Styrene-Acrylic and Vinyl Acrylic Latexes and Vehicles (1985-1987) UC-866 (mentioned)
• Asbestos Information Association/North America Pamphlet 'Asbestos in Water: A Hazard to Health?' (c. 1975) UC-893 (mentioned)
• Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Hilton Cecil Lewinsohn, Union Carbide Medical Director, Chemicals & Plastics Group UC-1275 (mentioned)
• Summary Sheets on Biological Effects of Inorganic and Organic Fibrous Substitutes for Asbestos (Attapulgite, Ceramic Fibers, Glass Fibers, Aramid Fibers) UC-1301 (mentioned)
• Review of Asbestos-Health Literature (undated, author not shown) UC-1436 (mentioned)
• Asbestos Information Association/North America, "Asbestos and Health" (undated, excerpt) UC-1643 (mentioned)
• Article Index of Asbestos Health Literature, 1962-1987 (Deposition Exhibit) UC-4824 (mentioned)

Names in the documents

The spellings documents use for IARC, OCR misreadings included, so a search for any of them finds this page: International Agency for Research on Cancer · International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) · IARC Scientific Publications · International Agency for Research on Cancer (World Health Organization), Lyon, France · International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Scientific Publication No. 8, "Biological Effects of Asbestos" · IARC Scientific Publications (reprint from Biological Effects of Mineral Fibres, Vol. 2, ed. J. C. Wagner, Lyon) · WHO/IARC.

Where this comes from

This page brings together every document in our library that names IARC, across collections. Titles and affiliations are taken from the documents themselves, and units and subsidiaries are grouped under the company they belong to.