Co-carcinogen
Encyclopedia
A Co-carcinogen is a chemical that promotes the effects of a carcinogen
in the production of cancer
. Usually, the term is used to refer to chemicals that are not carcinogenic on their own. A chemical can be co-carcinogenic with other chemicals or with nonchemical carcinogens, such as UV
radiation.
For example, sodium arsenite
can be administered to mice at a low enough concentration that it does not cause tumors on its own, but it increases the rate of formation and size of tumors formed after UV exposure.
A chemical may both have anti-carcinogenic properties and yet still be a co-carcinogen in combination with some carcinogens. Evidence points to beta carotene being one example of such a compound, which has led researchers to caution against the emphasis on isolated dietary supplements and instead recommend a focus on promoting a diverse diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
in the production of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Usually, the term is used to refer to chemicals that are not carcinogenic on their own. A chemical can be co-carcinogenic with other chemicals or with nonchemical carcinogens, such as UV
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
radiation.
For example, sodium arsenite
Sodium arsenite
Sodium arsenite is a compound with formula NaAsO2. It is the sodium salt of arsenous acid. It is a crystalline solid consisting of sodium cations, Na+, and catena-arsenite anions, [AsO2], which are infinite -O-As- chains, similar in structure to selenium dioxide, SeO2.It is a pesticide....
can be administered to mice at a low enough concentration that it does not cause tumors on its own, but it increases the rate of formation and size of tumors formed after UV exposure.
A chemical may both have anti-carcinogenic properties and yet still be a co-carcinogen in combination with some carcinogens. Evidence points to beta carotene being one example of such a compound, which has led researchers to caution against the emphasis on isolated dietary supplements and instead recommend a focus on promoting a diverse diet rich in fruits and vegetables.