Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), updated its classification list of carcinogens in the IARC Monographs, the authoritative reference for the agency's assessment of human cancer risks.
As of July 2026, IARC has systematically evaluated the various agents covered in Volumes 1–142 of the Monographs. The carcinogen classifications are as follows:
| Classification | Definition | Number of Agents |
| Group 1 | Carcinogenic to humans | 135 |
| Group 2A | Probably carcinogenic to humans | 98 |
| Group 2B | Possibly carcinogenic to humans | 329 |
| Group 3 | Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans | 498 |
