Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Methanol and Cancer
JOHN J. CLARY
Bio Risk, Midland, MI,USA
8.1
INTRODUCTION
Methanol has been a commercial chemical for more than 100 years and
there is no clear evidence in humans or animals that suggests methanol
is a carcinogenic risk. There have been no epidemiological studies in
humans and only several limited bioassays in rodents that could provide
information about methanol potential carcinogenicity. Rodent studies
include exposure by skin painting, inhalation, and by the oral route.
None are up to the “gold” standard of a NTP bioassay. Methanol is a
high volume chemical that was placed on the NTP list of candidate
chemicals for a bioassay years ago in rodents. The testing was not
conducted by NTP because of the low interest and the fact that they had
judged that rodents were not appropriate model for man in the case of
methanol (Masten, 2006). Methanol is not genotoxic, which may have
been a factor in the low interest in carrying out a bioassay on methanol.
These rodent studies are presented here in this chapter along with
possible mechanism of action of methanol such as genotoxic or oxidative
damage that may be factors in the response seen in these studies.
