Current trends in the biological monitoring of exposure to carcinogens.

The biological monitoring of exposure to carcinogens and mutagens has gained a lot of research interest recently. Biological monitoring data, in conjunction with environmental monitoring data, will provide information for the needed exposure assessment for directing preventive actions. For the reviewed carcinogens aromatic amines, benzene, ethylene oxide, aflatoxins, N-nitroso compounds, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and alkylating anticancer drugs, there are methods which are already routine in practice, whereas some promising methods are still used only for research purposes.