EpiDetective
Tools · Tool 01 — open now

Some exposures are known to cause cancer. Others are only suspected. This map shows which is which.

The dots and lines behind this heading are the dataset itself: 185 exposures, 68 types of cancer and the 469 links between them, as recorded by the World Health Organization’s cancer agency, IARC.

Established link Suspected link Exposure Cancer site
What is in here

The exposures IARC has linked to a cancer, graded by how certain the evidence is.

185
Exposures
68
Cancer types
469
Recorded links
1–141
Monograph volumes
Established link249 — Sufficient evidence in humans

Studies in people show a link, and chance, bias and confounding have been ruled out with reasonable confidence. This is the strongest conclusion IARC draws from studies in people.

Suspected link220 — Limited evidence in humans

A causal link is credible, but chance, bias or confounding could not be ruled out with reasonable confidence. More research may settle it either way.

Before you draw conclusions

Three things to know before you read the map.

Hazard and risk

Something that can cause cancer may still have had nothing to do with yours.

A Group 1 classification means an exposure can cause cancer under some conditions. How much, for how long, at what age, and which genes you carry all stand between that finding and any one person.

Gaps in the map

A missing link may only mean nobody has looked hard enough yet.

The map records what has been studied and reviewed. Many gaps come from limited research funding or short follow-up time, so an empty space here is weak evidence of safety.

Whole populations

This map describes populations, and cannot judge any single case.

If you are living with a cancer diagnosis, the people treating you know things about your case that no population map contains. Bring your questions to them.

Read the guide →
Open the tool

Start from a cancer or an exposure, or open the whole map.

Free, in ten languages. Drag, zoom, and focus on any part of the network.

Open the Cancer Evidence Explorer →
Source: IARC Monographs, “Classifications by cancer site”, Volumes 1–141 (last update 18 May 2026), adapted from Schubauer-Berigan et al., JNCI Monographs 2026, and augmented for later evaluations and for the single HPV types named in Volume 100B. This tool identifies hazards across whole populations. For anything concerning your own health, speak to a doctor.