Brain expert warns of huge rise in tumours and calls on industry to take immediate steps to reduce radiation. Mobile phones could kill far more people than smoking or asbestos, a study by an award-winning cancer expert has concluded. He says people should avoid using them wherever possible and that Governments and the mobile phone industry must take "immediate steps" to reduce exposure to their radiation. The study, by Dr Vini Khurana, is the most devastating indictment yet published of the health risks.
The Independent, March 30, 2008
Hairdressers and barbers are at increased risk of developing cancer – because of their use of hair dyes. And the risks could extend to personal use of the dyes, according to international experts. A review of the evidence by a panel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, has found a “small but consistent risk of bladder cancer in Male hairdressers and barbers". A second review of the evidence on personal use of hair dyes found some studies suggesting a possible association with bladder cancer and with lymphoma and leukaemia. The full report will be published as Volume 99 of the IARC Monographs.
The Independent, March 26, 2008
Exposure to plasticizers and other chemicals in childhood may hike adult cancer risks, report says. In the decades following World War II, both breast cancer rates and the use of synthetic chemicals soared in the United States and a new report contends there's a strong connection between the two. The report produced by the Breast Cancer Fund, a non-profit group whose mission is to identify environmental links to breast cancer, The State of the Evidence: 2008 concludes toxic chemicals in the environment, along with increased radiation exposure, are the main culprits in the sharp rise of breast cancer incidence.
HealthDay News, March 19, 2008
The Potomac River contains an array of man-made chemicals that could play havoc with animals' hormone systems, federal scientists have found in their best glimpse yet of the river's problems with a mysterious new class of pollutant. The research, unveiled at a conference last week, found more than 10 of the compounds, including pesticides, herbicides and artificial fragrances. Through an accident of chemistry, formulas designed to kill bugs or add smell to soap might also interfere with vital signals in fish, amphibians and other creatures. The scientists said they hoped this new research might explain one of the Potomac's most bizarre discoveries: Some male fish have begun growing eggs. Scientists said there was no evidence of a threat to human health.
Washington Post, March 18, 2008
Breast cancer patients who are overweight have more aggressive disease and are likely to die sooner, U.S. researchers reported on Friday. A dangerous type of breast cancer, known as inflammatory breast cancer, was seen in 45% of obese patients, compared with 30% of overweight patients and 15% of patients of healthy weight. “The more obese a patient is, the more aggressive the disease,” said Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, who led the study. “We are learning that the fat tissue may increase inflammation that leads to more aggressive disease.”
Reuters, March 17, 2008
The increased incidence of cancer over the last 50-60 years may be largely attributed to two factors: the ageing of the population and the diffusion of agents and situations presenting carcinogenic risks. Today, we have entered into a new era in which populations are ever-increasingly exposed to diffuse carcinogenic risks, present not only in the occupational, but also in the general environment. We must now also consider an additional factor in the carcinogenic process, that is, the age in which exposure to carcinogenic risks begins.
ISDE Italia News, March 13, 2008
As the EU's pesticides package moves into the final stages of adoption, new research shows that all Spaniards are affected by at least one type of pesticide, fungicide or insecticide classified internationally as potentially harmful to human health. The Spanish study, carried out by the University of Granada, examined the contamination levels of certain persistent organic pollutants in a sample of the adult population (387 individuals) and tried to find determining factors associated with such levels. People from both urban and semi-rural areas were part of the sample. According to the results, published in late 2007, 100% of Spaniards carry at least one type of harmful chemical in their bodies.
ISDE Italia News, March 13, 2008
Endocrinologists know that hormones normally stimulate their receptors at low concentrations, while high concentrations can inhibit these pathways by saturating receptors. But the notion that a substance can produce effects at low levels that disappear at higher levels fundamentally challenges traditional toxicological approaches. Full article available at http://tinyurl.com/2zfkum.
ISDE Italia News, March 13, 2008
Punjab Farmers are suffering damage to their DNA following excessive exposure to pesticides. This revelation came through in a study conducted by Raminderjeet Kaur, a research fellow under the supervision of Satbir Kaur of the Department of Human Biology, Punjabi University, Patiala. Her study reveals a tremendous DNA damage among the farming community of Punjab, who are occupationally exposed to a variety of pesticides.
Bombay Express, March 12, 2008
For years, public-health organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society and Heart and Stroke Foundation have been saying that the key to dodging deadly diseases is healthy living. But the groups, while still urging sensible steps such as tobacco avoidance, exercise and weight control, say there are some health threats individuals can't easily avoid on their own - such as air pollution and toxic compounds in consumer products - and they are calling on the federal government to take action. The two groups, along with the Canadian Lung Association, want Ottawa to pass legislation forcing companies to identify all the dangerous ingredients in their products, according to a joint statement to be released today. They also want Ottawa to create a countrywide index to measure air pollution.
Globe and Mail, March 6, 2008
The majority of studies have not found an increased cancer risk. Heavy mobile phone use may be linked to an increased risk of cancer of the salivary gland, a study suggests. Researchers looked at 500 Israelis who had developed the condition and compared their mobile phone usage with 1,300 healthy controls. Those who had used the phone against one side of the head for several hours a day were 50% more likely to have developed a salivary gland tumour.
BBC News Online, February 18, 2008
Obesity is on its way to being deadlier than smoking as a cause of cancer, a leading researcher said Friday. Being obese is currently associated with about 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 percent in women, compared with about 30 percent each for smoking, Dr. Walter C. Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health, told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Associated Press, February 15, 2008
Parents who use baby powder, lotion or shampoo on their infants may unknowingly expose their children to controversial chemicals with hormone-like effects, a study shows. Researchers found the chemicals called phthalates in the urine of all 163 babies tested, according to the study in today's Pediatrics. Most of the babies, whose average age was 13 months, had seven or more types of phthalates in their urine. Concentrations of phthalates were higher in infants who were exposed to lotion, powder and shampoo than in other infants, the study shows.
USA Today, February 4, 2008
Tens of thousands of New Zealanders are in jobs that put them at increased risk of cancer but neither they nor their doctors know it. Investigators from Massey University's Centre for Public Health Research are calling on family GPs and cancer specialists to be better informed about their patients' occupations current and past in the hope of improving diagnosis and treatment. They say work-related cancers affect between 700 and 1000 people a year and kill 400, yet fewer than 40 cases a year are notified to the Labour Department. Their call follows new research highlighting the potential risk of bladder cancer or non-Hodgkins lymphoma, published by the group in international journals. The research highlights the potential dangers of a wide range of jobs. Dyes, petrol fumes, solvents and pesticides are the main culprits and work is under way to establish which agents are most dangerous.
Sunday Star Times, February 3, 2008
Parents who make warm drinks for their young children in plastic baby bottles are putting them at risk from harmful chemicals, scientists have warned. Mums mistake baby illness for food allergy. A study has shown the level of a "gender-bending" pollutant that leaks from plastic bottles increases dramatically when they are filled with heated liquids. Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical within the plastic, has been linked to fertility problems, diabetes, breast cancer, hyperactivity and early puberty in girls. The study, conducted by Dr Scott Belcher of Cincinnati University, found exposure to boiling water increased the release of the chemical by 55 times. Reporting in the journal Toxicology Letters, Dr Belcher said, "It's not just baby bottles - people put tea or hot water in bottles all the time."
The Telegraph, January 31, 2008
This is according to the results of a yearlong study that carefully monitored the diets of a group of local children. The peer-reviewed study found that the urine and saliva of children eating a variety of conventional foods from area groceries contained biological markers of organophosphates, the family of pesticides spawned by the creation of nerve gas agents in World War II. When the same children ate organic fruits, vegetables and juices, signs of pesticides were not found. "The transformation is extremely rapid," said Chensheng Lu, the principal author of the study published online in the current issue of Environmental Health Perspectives. "Once you switch from conventional food to organic, the pesticides (malathion and chlorpyrifos) that we can measure in the urine disappears. The level returns immediately when you go back to the conventional diets."
Seattle Post, January 30, 2008
As an Alaskan fisherman, Timothy June, 54, used to think that he was safe from industrial pollutants at his home in Haines—a town with a population of 2,400 people and 4,000 eagles, with 20 million acres of protected wilderness nearby. But in early 2007, June agreed to take part in a survey of 35 Americans from seven states. It was a biomonitoring project, in which people's blood and urine were tested for traces of chemicals—in this case, three potentially hazardous classes of compounds found in common household products like shampoo, tin cans, shower curtains and upholstery. The results—released in November in a report called "Is It in Us?" by a coalition of environmental groups—were not reassuring. Every one of the participants, ranging from an Illinois state legislator to a Massachusetts minister, tested positive for all three classes of contaminants. And while the simple presence of these chemicals doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk, the fact that typical Americans carry these chemicals at all shocked June and his fellow participants. As Stephanie Felten, 28, of Aurora, Ill., put it, "Why should chemical companies be allowed to roll the dice on my health?"
Newsweek, January 26, 2008
Phone makers' own scientists discover that bedtime use can lead to headaches, confusion and depression. Radiation from mobile phones delays and reduces sleep, and causes headaches and confusion, according to a new study. The research, sponsored by the mobile phone companies themselves, shows that using the handsets before bed causes people to take longer to reach the deeper stages of sleep and to spend less time in them, interfering with the body's ability to repair damage suffered during the day.
The Independent, January 20, 2008
A congressional committee is launching an investigation into the use and safety of a chemical found in many children's and infant products, including the lining of liquid infant formula cans. Michigan Democrats Rep. John Dingell, chairman of the committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Bart Stupak, who chairs a subcommittee, on Thursday sent letters to seven major manufacturers of infant formula, including Nestle USA and Abbott, demanding answers about the companies' use and knowledge of the chemical bisphenol A. "There is concern in the scientific community that this chemical, bisphenol A, may be harmful both to adults and children," Dingell said in a statement. "It would seem obvious that we would try to protect babies and infants from chemicals that may be considered dangerous to adults."
J S Online, January 17, 2008
Male mice breathing city air carry more mutations. Don't breath the air: it might meddle with your reproduction. Air pollution can cause DNA mutations in the sperm of mice reared in an industrial city, researchers have found. The results add to ongoing concerns about the effects of air pollution on human health and fertility.
Nature, January 13, 2008
Britain's tap water should be monitored for powerful medicines after traces of cancer and psychiatric drugs were detected in samples, a report has warned. The 100-page statement, commissioned by the drinking water watchdog, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), reveals that pharmaceuticals are finding their way into the water supply despite extensive purification treatments used by water companies. Trace levels of bleomycin, a cancer chemotherapy drug, and diazepam, a sedative, have been found during tests on drinking water, the report reveals.
The Telegraph, January 13, 2008
Health officials suspect smoking; residents offer different theories. Intense, solemn Ray Romines spoke with an audible heaviness in his voice, managing a stoic smile... Despite the strong link between smoking and lung cancer - almost nine of 10 lung cancer deaths are smoking-related - Romines' thoughts about what may have caused his cancer drift away from cigarettes. He thinks often about the potential consequences of chemicals deposited at a hazardous waste dump on Adams Center Road about a mile away. A ZIP-code-by-ZIP-code breakdown revealed that the poorest, least-educated ZIP codes in Fort Wayne had the highest lung cancer rates. Given that higher poverty levels and less education usually coincide with higher smoking rates, health officials believe smoking is the most likely culprit. But others contend less prominent causes might be to blame. Chemical Waste Management stopped accepting waste in 1998, but Romines wonders whether there could be lingering health effects for those in the surrounding area.
The Journal Gazette, January 13, 2008
A new U.S. study on the plastic compound bisphenol A indicates that the chemical may be far more dangerous for young children than for adults. The finding has been submitted to Health Canada for its current safety review of BPA, and bolsters the case for limiting bisphenol A exposure in infants, who lack the capacity that adults have to detoxify it. Bisphenol A is used in polycarbonate baby bottles and the epoxy linings of cans, including those for almost all types of infant formula. Because BPA can mimic estrogen, many researchers suspect it is a factor in health trends linked to sex hormone imbalances, such as prostate and breast cancer. In the new study, researchers found that neonatal mice exposed to trace amounts of bisphenol A, either orally or through injection, ended up with similar amounts of the chemical in their blood because they do not have high amounts of the liver enzyme that breaks it down into an inactive form.
Globe and Mail, January 11, 2008
Children living within three miles of nuclear power stations are more than twice as likely to get leukaemia as those who live further away, scientists say. A large study commissioned by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BFS) found clusters of cases of the blood or bone marrow cancer among children aged under five-years-old living near 16 power stations in the country. The study was reported on the Channel 4 website as the Government gave the go-ahead for a new generation of nuclear power stations in Britain.
Daily Telegraph, January 10, 2008
Postmenopausal women taking combined oestrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy for three years or longer run four times the risk of developing lobular breast cancer, finds US research. This is shorter than the time associated with an increased risk of other types of breast cancer (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 2008;17:43-50). The study included 1044 women between the ages of 55 and 74 who had been diagnosed as having invasive breast cancer between 2000 and 2004 and entered into the cancer surveillance system in Washington State. They were compared with 469 age matched controls without cancer. A third of the women with breast cancer had lobular cancers, which occur in the chambers of the breast that contain milk producing glands and account for about 15% of all invasive breast cancers.
BMJ 2008;336:116 (19 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.39461.443877.4E
Black women in Britain develop breast cancer up to 21 years earlier than white women. They are seen at a median age of 46—four years before routine NHS screening for the disease starts—compared with 67 for white women, according to the first published data on breast cancer presentation in black women (British Journal of Cancer; doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604174). Among women with smaller tumours (less than 2 cm), black women were nearly three times as likely to die of their disease (hazard ratio 2.90, 95% CI 0.98 to 8.60, P=0.05). "Our findings could have major implications for the biology of breast cancer and the detection and treatment of the disease in black women," say the authors. "It is crucial to target this group of women to raise their awareness regarding the risks of breast cancer, the likelihood of early age at presentation, and the importance of self-examination."
BMJ 2008;336:116 (19 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.39461.648750.DB
Tens of thousands of cases of breast cancer could be prevented in the EU if the cancer establishment recognised environmental and occupational risk factors as a major contributory factor in the rising breast cancer epidemic, according to a briefing published in January 2008. The briefing "Politics and Prevention: Linking breast cancer and our environment' from WECF highlights this neglect of the risk factors. "What's preventing prevention?" asks Helen Lynn, author of the briefing. "Conventionally accepted risk factors only account for 50-70 % of breast cancer cases leaving 30-50 % with no known cause. We believe exposure to toxic chemicals is one of the missing risk factors for breast cancer and, as such, is a major contributor to the rising cases of the disease. Yet our governments and the cancer establishments are ignoring this potential route to prevention despite the mounting evidence. We want to know why?
WECF Press Release, January, 2008
To investigate the relationship between traffic air pollution and development of childhood leukemia (14 yr of age or younger), studies were conducted on a matched cancer case-control cohort using childhood deaths that occurred in Taiwan from 1995 through 2005. The results showed that there was a significant exposure-response relationship between exposure to traffic exhaust pollutants and the risk of leukemia among young children after controlling for possible confounders. The findings of this study warrant further investigation of the role of traffic air pollution in the etiology of childhood leukemia.
Weng HH, et al., J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2008;71(7):434-8
Abstract: Highly carcinogenic N-nitrosodialkylamine (nitrosamine) disinfection byproducts were quantified in chlorinated swimming pools, hot tubs, and aquaria. N-Nitrosodimethylamine, the most abundant nitrosamine detected, was measured in swimming pools and hot tubs at levels up to 500-fold greater than the drinking water concentration of 0.7 ng/L associated with a one in one million lifetime cancer risk. Temperature, enclosure, amine and nitrite precursor loading, and the use of disinfection schemes with reduced chlorine doses contributed to statistically significant variability in its occurrence. N-Nitrosodibutylamine and N-nitrosopiperidine were also detected but together represented <5% of the total analyte distribution. The presence of N-nitrodimethylamine at levels comparable to N - nitrosodimethylamine points to a competition between the nitration and nitrosation of amines in chlorinated recreational waters. Since nitrosamines can cause bladder cancer, the significance of our measurements needs clarification with respect to recent epidemiological results that are suggestive of a link between swimming in chlorinated pools and bladder cancer.
Walse S, et al., Environmental Science and Technology, 2008. Article in Press. ASAP Article, 10.1021/es702301p
Pregnant women exposed to household pesticides may increase the risk of their children developing leukemia, according to a recent study conducted in France. These findings add more weight to the idea that pesticides play a role in childhood blood cancers and may shed light on the actual causes of the diseases. In the study, parents of leukemia patients were more likely to have used pesticides and insecticides either at home or at work. Exposure to these chemicals is a risk factor for blood cancers, particularly if children are exposed in the womb, the authors' conclude.
Rudant J, et al., Environmental Health Perspectives, 2007 115:1787–1793
Global human cancer is increasing. Exposures to cancer risk factors are not only becoming more prevalent in the less industrialized countries, but they have also become more complex all over the world. Human societies have always traded and migrated, yet the growth of powerful economic institutions and globalization is accelerating, mixing many cancer risk factors. Critically, new cancer risk factors have also appeared, concurrent with globalization: modern diet, addictive products, pharmaceuticals, and toxic and waste products. Prevention, which still rests on recognition and elimination of exposure to carcinogens, is difficult, with seemingly opposed priorities such as income (corporate or individual) versus health. The solutions require not only individual behavioural change but also more importantly innovative action of all concerned at the global, collective level.
Annie J Sasco, Biomed Pharmacother. 2007 Dec 5
Immigrant studies offer insights into the relative importance of environment and genes in disease etiology. There is considerable variation in testicular cancer incidence worldwide. We investigated testicular cancer risk in first- and second-generation immigrants to Denmark, a high-incidence country, to evaluate the relative influence of genes and environment and the potential timing of action of environmental factor(s). Results: Overall, 4216 testicular cancer cases occurred during 43 million person-years of follow-up in 2.1 million men. These included 166 cases among 344444 direct immigrants to Denmark and 13 cases among 56189 men born in Denmark to immigrant parents. These first- and second-generation immigrants had RRs of testicular cancer of 0.37 (95% CI = 0.31 to 0.43) and 0.88 (95% CI = 0.51 to 1.53), respectively, compared with men born in Denmark of parents born in Denmark. The rate in first-generation immigrants was not modified by age at immigration or duration of stay and reflected that in the country of origin. Conclusion: The testicular cancer risk in first-generation immigrants was lower than that in native-born Danes and reflected that in the countries of origin, whereas the risk in second-generation immigrants was similar to that in natives of Denmark. Together these findings argue for a substantial influence of environmental factors limited to the period early in life, most probably to the period in utero.
Charlotte Myrup, et al., JNCI, 2008 100(1):41-47; doi:10.1093/jnci/djm276
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