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OncoLogic™ - An Expert System to Evaluate the Carcinogenic Potential of Chemicals

The OncoLogic™ model is an expert system that mimics the judgment of human experts by following sets of knowledge rules based on studies of how chemicals cause cancer in animals and humans. OncoLogic™ asks for chemical and use information from the user, and following the knowledge rules incorporated into the system, uses the responses to construct an estimation of the carcinogenicity potential of the chemical.

In January 2021, EPA released an updated and improved version of the most widely used piece of OncoLogic™ in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The updated module of this tool (version 9.0) is used to analyze organic chemicals, the largest group of chemicals contained in OncoLogic™. Version 8.0 can still be used to analyze fibers, metals, and polymers.

Key characteristics of the system include:

  • Subsystems in version 8.0 that can evaluate fibers, metals, and polymers.
  • Subsystems in version 9.0 that can evaluate more than 52 classes of organic chemicals.
  • Insight for industry when conducting preliminary reviews of candidate substances during research and development of the cancer-causing potential of chemicals.
  • Knowledge for regulatory agencies to assess the potential cancer concern of existing chemicals for which cancer bioassay data are not available.

Disclaimers:

  • OncoLogic™ has been peer reviewed, runs on a Windows® PC, and is being released by EPA at no cost, to be available to any researcher or organization wishing to evaluate cancer potential of chemicals.
  • A user should be familiar with organic chemistry and know certain characteristics of the chemical of interest including: structure (including subunits present), physical/chemical properties (stability, etc.), biological and mechanistic information, as well as possible routes of exposure.
  • The general public is advised to seek assistance from chemists, carcinogenesis experts, and other environmental health specialists when using OncoLogic™.

Download OncoLogic

OncoLogic™ Version 9.0.zip(30 MB) : use this version to analyze organic chemicals.

OncoLogic™ Version 8.0.msi(10 MB, February, 2019) : use this version to analyze fibers, metals, and polymers.

Included in the "Help File" within the OncoLogic Program are the Quick Start Tutorial and the OncoLogic™ User Guide, which are also posted below for separate download, along with other documentation to assist users in operation and interpretation of the OncoLogic model.

U.S. EPA Technical Contact:

Martin Phillips, U.S. EPA
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Data Gathering & Analysis Division
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20460-0001
Phone: 202-564-6440
email:  phillips.martinb@epa.gov