Peer-reviewed article says IARC's independent cancer assessments are threatened by people with economic interests who want to undermine its financial support
The peer-reviewed article below is timely, given the current situation in the US whereby corporate interests are trying to destroy IARC, the World Health Organisation's cancer agency, in the wake of its decisions that glyphosate and some types of meat pose a cancer risk.
Lead author Peter Infante was part of a panel convened by the US EPA to evaluate glyphosate's cancer risk. The industry lobby group CropLife told the EPA to remove Dr Infante because it considered him biased against industry. The EPA did as it was told.
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Commentary: IARC Monographs Program and public health under siege by corporate interests
Peter F. Infante DrPH, Ronald Melnick PhD, Harri Vainio MD, James Huff PhD
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 3 Feb 2018. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22811
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajim.22811/full
Abstract
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluates causes of cancer with help from independent international experts in an open and transparent manner. Countries, research and regulatory agencies, and other organizations adopt IARC evaluations for communication of human cancer hazards, and for strategies to prevent cancer. Scientists worldwide endorse IARC cancer evaluations and process. Those with economic interests, however, challenge IARC's cancer evaluations, most recently for glyphosate and red and processed meats, and are conducting a campaign including intervention from US Congressional Representatives to discredit IARC's review process and to undermine financial support — a campaign intimidating to IARC and Working Group members. Challenges to scientific interpretations serve to advance science and should be resolved by scientific experts who do not have conflicts of interest. Such interference does not bode well for the free flow of scientific information that informs and protects the public from risks of cancer.