The President’s Cancer Panel has released a report that underlines the need to better-educate the public about cancer-causing exposures that are encountered every day, such as formaldehyde, asbestos, radon and benzene. The report stated that, in general, the public is unaware of environmental cancer risks.
The report highlights the urgent need for parents of small children to become more informed about potentially harmful environmental exposures, as children – who obviously weigh less but consume more food, air, and water than adults – retain toxic chemicals within their body for an extended period of time [longer than adults]. In addition, a child’s brain is more apt to chemical exposure than an adult’s.
A focus on environmental cancer risks is absolutely necessary going forward, says the panel. They also believe that oncologists must be more thorough when diagnosing their patients, as exposure to environmental toxins is often overlooked during diagnosis.
“The mere fact that the President’s Cancer Panel has this report is going to make people more aware,” stated chair Dr. Lasalle Leffall Jr., who works at Howard University College of Medicine and is a practicing oncologist.
The panel also places blame on incomplete federal policies for failing to regulate and study almost 80,000 chemicals like bispenol A [also known as BPA], despite having an understanding that these chemicals have been known to cause cancer and other diseases.
Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral that for decades was attributed to a fatal cancer known as mesothelioma but was not regulated by the federal government, is another chemical that the public is still fairly naïve about. Asbestos can be found in dozens of products, including attic insulation, paint, and even duct tape, and until the late eighties, there were no laws on the books to protect consumers from exposure. If asbestos products are disturbed or damaged and become friable, humans can inhale claw-like asbestos fibers that may cling to the mesothelium, or lining of the internal organs, for upwards of fifty years. Mesothelioma is always fatal, and has no cure. It is typically diagnosed in older men who worked in high-risk occupations like construction or mining, but the profile of mesothelioma patients is slowly changing. Now, adults in their twenties – women included – are being diagnosed with this disease.
The use of cellular telephones was also mentioned in the report, as recent news stories have created buzz around a possible connection between cell phone use and brain cancer. Dr. Leffall said that their report takes “a cautious approach” and included information about cell phones because it is important to educate the public. To limit exposure to electromagnetic energy from cell phone usage, the panel’s report recommends the use of a headset.
The almost 250-page report also recommended that people take off their shoes when entering their home to limit exposure to pesticides and other toxins. It also suggested filtering tap water, microwaving food in glass or ceramic containers [instead of plastic, which can contain BPAs], choosing organic meats and foods raised with little pesticide exposure, and using a stainless steel water bottle in lieu of the plastic versions.
Listed among the most dangerous toxins was benzene, a carcinogen that is known to cause lung cancer. Benzene is released by oil refineries right here in the United States in gaseous form – in fact, close to one million pounds of benzene are released annually. It is also released into our air in the form of car exhaust. While it’s regulated by the Clean Air Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the President’s Cancer Panel believes that the public knows too little about the dangers of this toxin. Also listed was radon, which is the second-leading cause of lung cancer right behind smoking cigarettes. At least 21,000 Americans die as a result of radon exposure yearly.
Formaldehyde, called a “probable” carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency, conjures up images of high school biology class. The panel’s report states that it is found in almost all residences nationwide in the form of particle board, attic insulation, toiletries and carpet. In addition, formaldehyde presents a serious risk at work, like asbestos. About two million people experience occupational formaldehyde exposure and are at a heightened risk of cancer as a result.
The President’s Cancer Panel, formed in 1971, consists of Dr. Leffall and Dr. Margaret Kripke of MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.
