May 15 2007
Study Confirms Links Between Everyday Chemicals and Breast Cancer
GUEST: Ruthann Rudel, one of the authors of a new report compiling cancer research, Senior Scientist at Silent Spring Institute
A new study recently published in a journal of the American Cancer Society has found links between everyday chemicals and breast cancer. Co-authored by two advocacy groups and researched by five institutions, the study, “Environmental Factors in Breast Cancer,†analyzed the link between increased risks of breast cancer with exposure to common chemicals. More than 200 chemicals were found to have caused cancerous breast tumors in animals of which humans are highly exposed to nearly half of them. Of the 216 chemicals listed, 73 have been found in consumer products and as contaminants in food while 35 are air pollutants. Researchers in the study concluded that a reduction in exposure to such chemicals may reduce the incidence of breast cancer. In addition to the report, a free online database of the chemicals has been established. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women in the United States between the ages of their late 30’s to early 50’s. Nearly 178,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year in the U.S. alone.
Click here to find out more about the study: http://www.silentspring.org/newweb/research/ssa2.html
Click here to access the database of chemicals: http://www.sciencereview.silentspring.org/mamm_about.cfm
One Response to “Study Confirms Links Between Everyday Chemicals and Breast Cancer”
Thanks for reviewing this study! Knowing that 90 percent of breast cancers have an environmental component, we are hopeful that public awareness of dangers in our environment will make a difference. Reviewing the silent spring information is somewhat confusing for those that don’t read chemistry texts as a leisure activity, but want to take action now to protect themselves, so we are compiling a table of common household products that contain these chemicals with, frequently simple, solutions or alternatives. This can be found at http://www.avoidcancernow.com on the left side of the home page under breast cancer news. Thanks for raising awareness!
Lynne Eldridge M.D.
Author, “Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time: Practical Advice for Preventing Cancer”