SLP Carcinogenic Agents

• Carcinogen is substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promote carcinogenesis (formation of cancer).
• Types of carcinogens :

  1. Chemical
  2. Radiation
  3. Microbial
• Steps involved in chemical carcinogenesis

  1. Initiation

  • Exposure of cells to sufficient dose of carcinogenic agent

  1. Initiation causes permanent DNA damage

  • Mutation

  1. Promoters induce tumors to arise from initiated cells but is nontumorigenic