[Histonet] Re: Formaldehyde - Carcinogen?

[Robert Richmond]

Beth A. Fye at HCA Richmond [Virginia?] Hospital Laboratories asks:

>>In 2006, the IARC [International Agency for Research on Cancer]
changed formaldehyde from a Group 2a - Probable Carcinogen to a Group
I Carcinogenic to Humans.  Has this changed... any  procedures within
[your] Histology Laboratory?<<

See
http://www.iarc.fr/ENG/Press_Releases/archives/pr153a.html
I never heard of them, but I don't think the IARC is a regulatory
agency - rather they're a subsidiary of the WHO (World Health
Organization) based in France.

Pathologists (at least this pathologist) have a very high lifetime
exposure to formaldehyde. The AMA (American Medical Association)
tracks the causes of death of American physicians very carefully. To
date there has been no information published to suggest that
pathologists' causes of death are different from those of other
American physicians.

I'm sure that the herrn inschpektors will soon be belaboring us with
this IARC report, but I don't think there's any new evidence - or if
there is, I wish the IARC or somebody would publish it.

Bob Richmond
well pickled samurai pathologist
Knoxville TN