Interindividual variation in carcinogen metabolism, DNA damage and DNA repair.

A number of laboratory approaches are currently available to measure interindividual variation in carcinogen metabolism, amounts of carcinogen-DNA adducts and DNA repair capacity. Wide interindividual variations have been found among strains of experimental inbred animals and among individuals in outbred populations, including humans. The quantitative relationships, if any, between these parameters and the human cancer risk will be determined by biochemical and molecular epidemiological studies, of high and low cancer risk populations and of cancer-prone families.