abstract: Cancer and environment: Definitions and misconceptions - Environmental Research

Conclusions

Our findings emphasize the discrepancies in reporting environmental causation of cancer and the limits of inference in interpreting environmentally attributable risk estimates. Rather than achieving consensus on a single definition for the environment, we suggest the focus be on achieving transparency for any environmentally attributable risks.

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Highlights

► We report definitions of the environment and attributable risk estimates over time.
► Definitions were categorized and assessed in relation to risk estimates.
► Reported environmentally attributable risk estimates ranged from 1% to 100%.
► There are limits of inference in interpreting environmentally attributable risks.
► The focus should be on transparency in the derivation of attributable risk estimates.