Carcinogenicity

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Carcinogenicity: a property of a chemical to cause cancer. It is also called tumourigenicity to emphasise that a chemical may cause benign tumours and malignant tumours (such as carcinoma). Carcinogenic chemicals are often divided to genotoxic carcinogens (initiators) that can cause mutations (see mutagenicity) and initiate a cancer cell, and epigenetic carcinogens (see promoters) that are able to promote growth and/or differentiation of existing cancer cells. [1]


References

  1. Jouko Tuomisto, Terttu Vartiainen and Jouni T. Tuomisto: Dioxin synopsis. Report. National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), ISSN 1798-0089 ; 14/2011 [1]