The Cancer Question: Environmental Cancer Risk
Carcinogen:”Despite overall decreases in incidence and mortality cancer continues to shatter and steal the lives of Americans.Approximately 41 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives and about 21 percent will die from cancer. The incidence of some cancers, including some most common among children, is increasing for some unexplained reasons”-President Barack Obama’s, Panel on cancer.
The present regulatory approach of environmental contaminants is nothing to write home about, it is reactionary rather than precautionary. Instead of talking prevention we are always talking about scientific facts that are peripheral and experimental, that puts the onus of proof on the patient. Instead of talking about the causes and how to tackle it, people are busy talking about symptoms and how to cure it. The correct thing is to take preventive measures when uncertainties exist about the potential harm a chemical or other numerous environmental contaminants may have on the people,yet it is still expected that a hazard be incontrovertibly demonstrated before initiating action to ameliorate it.Why must the public bear the burden of proving that a given environmental exposure is harmful, when we all know that more than 80,000 chemical in use in the United States have not been tested for safety, rather than requiring the industry or other proponents of chemicals producers and devices and all activities capable of harmful exposure to prove the safety of their products or services, the position is vice versa.
Do you know that contaminants and substances banned more than 30 years ago are still ubiquitous in the environment due to the fact that they break down very slowly?Do you know that manufacturers and other industrial producers and processes are responsible for a great many of the hazardous environmental and occupational exposures experienced by us? Do you know that numerous chemicals used in manufacturing remain in or on the products as residues, while others are integral components of the products? Do you know that many carcinogens earlier identified through studies on industrial, agricultural and occupational exposures has since found their way back to the soil, water, air and other numerous consumer products.That today the line between occupational and environmental contaminants is difficult to differentiate.Do you know that all Americans carry some percentage of foreign chemicals in their bodies’ women having higher levels of these toxic and hormone-disrupting substances?
Do you know that some chemicals indirectly increase cancer risk by contributing to immune and endocrine dysfunction that can influence the effects of carcinogens?Do you know that the entire U.S. population is exposed on a daily basis to numerous agricultural chemicals, some of which are also used in residential and commercial landscaping?Do you know that many of these substances and chemicals are known or suspected to have carcinogenic or endocrine-disrupting properties?It may interest you to know that, pesticides-herbicides, insecticides and fungicides approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contain nearly 900 active ingredients, and many of them are toxic, many of the solvents and other chemicals listed as inert ingredients on pesticide labels are also toxic, yet surprisingly they are not required by law to be tested’ to see their potential in causing chronic diseases such as cancer.One is not talking about agricultural fertilizers and veterinary pharmaceuticals as major contributors to water pollution, directly and indirectly. Worth mentioning are chemical processes that form toxic by-products when these substances find its way into water supply.
We are in trouble, when one think about conveniences of modern life such as automobile, generators, airplane travel, potable tap water, dry cleaning, cellular communication electricity and fashion to mention but a few. We earnestly need to find ways of reducing Environmental cancer Risk Now.Have you read the report of the President’s Panel on cancer, if I heard you answer no, do that to keep informed, this will help you take informed decisions from informed choices.
Remain blessed.
Dr. Chukwu Innocent O.
