IMPORTANT ARTICLE: How to Avoid Everyday Cancer-Causers

How to Avoid Everyday Cancer-Causers
The American Cancer Society wants more research and funding on the thousands of chemicals we encounter in our daily lives.
By Emily Main

Eliminate the cancer-causing agents you can, and screen yourself for problems caused by the chemicals you can't avoid.

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RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Last week, the American Cancer Society (ACS) published its first position statement on environmental cancer-causing agents, calling attention to the need for more research on the full impact of all the chemicals floating around in our environment.

THE DETAILS: People generally associate "environmental factors" that cause cancer with air and water pollutants. However, there are over 100,000 chemicals used in the consumer products that we come in contact with every day, and only a fraction have ever been tested for safety. It's these chemicals the authors would like more attention to be paid to, considering that, the authors note, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer has evaluated just 935 chemicals since it started looking at cancer-causing agents in 1969. Most of these threats are occupational exposures, which contribute to 2.4 to 4.8 percent of all cancer deaths in this country, but the general population is still exposed at much lower levels. To protect all individuals, the ACS is calling for tighter regulatory standards on both occupational and general exposures, based on sound scientific research that should be better funded, and for greater public
disclosure of chemicals being used so that individuals can make informed decisions. The society is also calling for more detailed research on a chemical's cumulative-exposure risk, as well as how that risk is influenced by dosing and timing, and for monitoring the accumulation of these chemicals in humans and in the food chain.

WHAT IT MEANS: "The environment as it influences health is far more broad than the public may think," says Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, professor in the department of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine and cochair of the ACS Subcommittee on Cancer and the Environment, which authored the report. Unfortunately, he adds, cancer-causing agents are often shrouded in uncertainty. "Cellphones are particularly salient examples of environmental exposures that are now ingrained in modern life, yet there's an uncertainty of whether they're a cause of brain cancer," he says.

The ACS is concerned about the environment and cancer, but "there's definitely a need for better and more efficient ways to test for toxicity." The report, he adds, was intended to put environmental pollutants into the broader context of cancer prevention, which, along with more stringent testing of chemicals, includes cutting down on tobacco use, improving diet and exercise, and employing vaccines against infections that cause cancer, such as hepatitis B and the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Despite the stew of chemicals we encounter on a daily basis, there are ways to protect yourself from their carcinogenic effects:

• Stop smoking. Smoking contributes to 30 percent of all cancer-related deaths in the general population, the authors note, making it the most controllable source of cancer-causing agents. There's plenty of free help available for quiting; start by talking to your doctor or calling the ACS at 800-ACS-2345.

• Have your home tested for radon. Radon, a colorless, odorless gas that seeps into homes via cracks in foundations, is the leading cause of non-smoking-related lung cancer in the U.S. It's a byproduct of the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, and some regions of the country have higher instances than others. Visit www.epa.gov/radon to learn if you're in a high-risk area for radon poisoning.

• Get vaccinated or screened. The ACS says that 17 percent of cancer deaths are caused by viruses and other infections. Make sure you follow the screening guidelines that are appropriate for your age, gender, and health status. And get your kids the proper screenings, too. Hepatitis B vaccines are generally part of a child's routine vaccination schedule, but the HPV vaccine is administered around the time a girl turns 12. Whether or not you choose to get your kids vaccinated, teach them the value of regular screenings that can catch these infections before they turn into cancer.

• Eat organic. Pesticides have been linked to childhood leukemia and breast cancer, among other problems. Choose food that's grown with organic techniques whenever possible, and you'll keep suspect chemicals out of your body. Voting organic with your dollars also decreases the amount of agrichemicals that end up in our water and soil.

• Clean naturally. Like pesticides, harsh chemicals in cleaning products have been linked to a wide variety of health problems and some are suspected of causing cancer. Since cleaning companies aren't required to tell you what's in their products, the simplest way to avoid cancer-causing agents in cleaning products is to make your own cleaners using natural ingredients like vinegar. You should also avoid home care products that contain chemical fragrances, which may be listed as "parfum" or "fragrance" on the label.

Green Clean The Kitchen of Someone in Need: Volunteer on Make A Difference Day

Green Clean The Kitchen of Someone in Need
Volunteer On Make a Difference Day
by Michael de Jong
October 23, 2008

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"If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one." ~ Mother Teresa

Either single-handedly, with the help of friends or family, or volunteering with an organization, cooking up a large or small project is a wonderful way to score brownie points. Anyone -- small fry or senior, individuals or groups -- can whip-up volunteer projects that help others.

Allow your ideas to percolate, and you'll soon discover what your community needs. "Make a Difference Day" (this October 25) is really all about neighbors serving neighbors.

No matter whether you're a scrambled student, a butter-fingered bartender, or even a half-baked housepainter, there are always a few extra hours to consider volunteering an afternoon of your skills: painting a neighbor's porch or finger-painting with the kid next door; removing a scrap heap of trash from the side of a highway or scrap-booking memories at the Senior Center; granny-sitting or babysitting; swinging your kids at the local park or swinging a hammer to help with some carpentry; twisting a screwdriver to assist with electrical work or twisting taffy with some school kids; you get the idea... You could coach a sporting event, offer computer assistance, replant a flower or vegetable bed, do some office work, visit with someone who's lonely, collect food for the homeless or even work in a soup kitchen.

With all of this not-so subtle discussion of food, food, and more food...on "Make a Difference Day" how about cleaning a neighbor's kitchen appliances? (You knew I was going there now didn't ya'!) It doesn't need to take a month of Sundays to quickly and safely clean a kitchen. Here are a few quick pointers and eco-recipes to make your visit speedy and easy as pie.

Coffee maker:
To clean an automatic drip coffee maker run full-strength white vinegar through a normal brew cycle. Rinse by running plain water through the cycle twice. The pot will be remarkably clean and your coffee will taste better than ever. (Tip: coffee sometimes tastes bitter because of soapy residue...so never wash your pot with soap.)

Dishwasher:
To clean a dishwasher (I know, it sounds like an oxymoron, but the darn things do get yucky over time!), place a cup of white vinegar into the bottom of the appliance and operate through an entire cycle. Do this once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner rollers, racks gaskets and sprayers.

Garbage disposal:
Pour 1/2 cup of salt into the garbage disposal. Then, by running the disposal following manufacturer's directions, you'll send any odors down the drain! And for an extra treat, cut up a lemon and let the disposal do its job.

Microwave:
Boil 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of water in a glass or plastic container in your microwave for two minutes. The condensation from the boiling mixture will loosen splattered-on-food and those mysterious cheesy lumps, and will even deodorize the machine in the process. Wipe the inside clean with a damp cloth or sponge.

Oven:
To prevent greasy oven buildup in the first place, dip a sponge in full-strength white vinegar and wipe down all sides of a clean oven, inside and out.

Refrigerator:
Wash out a refrigerator with a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar. It will make everything sparkle.

On "Make a Difference Day" do something -- anything -- to help out a friend or a neighbor in need. If cleaning someone else's kitchen isn't your cup of tea and you don't have a first class project to steak your reputation on sleep on it. The perfect idea is bound to turn up.