International Agency for Research on Cancer

International Agency for Research on Cancer / Centre international de recherche sur le cancer
AbbreviationIARC, CIRC
Formation20 May 1965; 59 years ago (1965-05-20)[1]
TypeAgency
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersLyon, France
Head
Elisabete Weiderpass (director)
Parent organization
World Health Organization
Websitewww.iarc.who.int

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC; French: Centre International de Recherche sur le Cancer, CIRC) is an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Organization of the United Nations. Its role is to conduct and coordinate research into the causes of cancer.[2] It also collects and publishes surveillance data regarding the occurrence of cancer worldwide.[3]

Its IARC monographs programme identifies carcinogenic hazards and evaluates environmental causes of cancer in humans.[4][5]

IARC has its own governing council, and in 1965 the first members were West Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.[2] Today, IARC's membership has grown to 29 countries.[6]

  1. ^ Resolution WHA18.44 of the World Health Assembly on 20 May 1965.
  2. ^ a b Colditz GA, ed. (2015). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Cancer and Society (International Agency for Research on Cancer). SAGE Publications. pp. 1323–. ISBN 978-1-5063-0126-6.
  3. ^ "Global cancer observatory". www-dep.iarc.fr. International Agency for Research on Cancer.
  4. ^ "IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans". monographs.iarc.fr. International Agency for Research on Cancer. 2023.
  5. ^ Caballero B, ed. (2015). Encyclopedia of Food and Health. Elsevier Science. p. 658. ISBN 978-0-12-384953-3.
  6. ^ "Egypt joins the International Agency for Research on Cancer". IARC. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.