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Cancer No
word strikes more fear into people’s hearts than “cancer.” Although the
death rate from cancer has declined, the incidence rate has not. Cancer
rates continue to grow in almost every segment of the public in the
Western World. Breast cancer and prostate cancers have doubled in the past
fifty years. Testicular cancer has tripled during the same period. One in
five persons in the The
majority of cancer cases are due to environmental factors. Most experts
agree that as many as 80 to 90% of all cancers can be avoided by making
certain lifestyle changes. Please understand that “environmental factors”
include everything in the environment, including diet, sleep patterns,
etc. Some experts argue that 30% of all cancers are caused by exposure to
toxic chemicals. The
National Cancer Institute has a list of twenty known carcinogens and over
2,200 chemicals that are probable carcinogens. Many of these chemicals are
in the cleaners and personal care products you buy at your local
supermarket. The National Toxicology Program is urging that fifteen more
chemicals be added to the list of known carcinogens, including an organic
solvent used in grease-cutting cleaners. Cancer tumours start from the
mutated growth of one cell. Even minimal exposure over a long period of
time can put you at risk of developing cancer. The risk may not be that
great, but for me there is no acceptable level of risk when it comes to
cancer. I know I can’t completely eliminate all potential hazards from my
life, but I no longer put myself at risk for cancer by exposing myself to
the unregulated, dangerous chemicals that appear in products like laundry
detergent, bathroom cleaner, hair conditioner, and
cologne. Cancer in
children I
know my children are safer, too. Each year 8,000 children in the
The
tragedy is that only 20% of cases of childhood cancer are due to genetic
factors. Remember, we now know that carcinogens can cross the placental
barrier. Exposure to carcinogens in the womb may cause childhood cancer by
causing tumour development or by altering the baby’s genes, leaving them
with a predisposition to cancer. Dr. Robert Miller of the National Cancer
Institute states that many carcinogens have a short enough latent period
that exposure in the womb could lead to the diagnosis of tumours in the
paediatric age period. Finally, I think it is
important to remember that current cancer rates reflect past toxic
exposure. Only time will tell what the legacy of our increased use of
household products full of toxic chemicals will be. Here is what BBC News
reported: ’….substances suspected of
having links to cancer, hormone disruption, fertility problems and
environmental damage. They include chemicals found in cleaning products
and artificial musks, used in perfumed products,
which can be absorbed by the body. These "bio-accumulators" tend to build
up in fatty tissues over a period of time because they are difficult to
break down. Environmental campaigners say the long-term effects of
accumulating a cocktail of potentially hazardous substances in the body
are not known - so safer alternatives should be used
instead.’ |