You can read timely Consumer Reports articles in the new Lifestyles section...
By JEFF MEYERS
PLATTSBURGH — Humanity's battle against cancer has taken many directions, each adding a piece of the puzzle toward improved understanding of the disease.
But advocates for an aggressive assault on the environmental factors that can cause cancer are stepping up their efforts to improve awareness of what they believe is an ever-present danger in the air we breathe, the liquids we drink and the food we eat.
"We need to present this message stronger and louder," said Donald Hassig of Cancer Action New York, a regional environmental watchdog organization that promotes stricter regulations to reduce the presence of cancer-causing agents in industry and agriculture.
"Science has produced so many messages to the public, and those messages are being provided but not in the way they need to be to prevent cancer," Hassig said during a recent telephone media conference.
"These issues need to be addressed."
STRONG DANGER
David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany, argues that environmental factors have a greater impact on cancer rates than a family history of cancer has.
"Almost all cancers come from some kind of environmental exposure," he said.
"As time goes on, we're finding out more and more that environmental exposure causes cancer. We have an environment where hundreds of thousands (of) industrial chemicals that escape into the water supply, the food we eat and the air we drink."
WHERE YOU LIVE
He cited recent studies in New York City that examined the incidence of kidney cancer and found increased numbers of the disease in people living near a dry-cleaning company and another study that found higher rates of leukemia in people living near a hazardous-waste site that stored the chemical benzene.
"One factor (potentially impacting cancer rates) in addition to what we eat and breathe is where we live."
Dr. Steven Gilbert, a toxicologist and professor from the University of Washington, echoed Carpenter's points and promoted a better public understanding of the scientific information available.
"This (information) has to effect better policy decisions. We need to work to reduce toxins in the environment to protect public health. Everyone has a right to a healthy environment."
EVERYDAY PRODUCTS
Sharon Kaplan from the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes in Ithaca discussed her organization's efforts to go into area schools to promote an increased awareness of the presence of cancer-causing agents in everyday products that kids use regularly.
"We introduce them to the chemicals found in body products, makeup, shampoo, deodorant," Kaplan said.
"These teens are using a lot of body-care products, an average of about 12 products daily. With the combination of chemicals in each product, they could reach over 100 chemicals per day."
Reading labels and recognizing ingredients is an important step in preventing exposure, she said.
"If you can't pronounce it or don't know what it is, then maybe you should look into it.
"We do have a choice. We can find the products with the fewest amount of ingredients."
LABELING
Elizabeth Henley, an advocate for green-labeling laws, emphasized the role government needs to play in making information readily available to the public on what products may increase the risk of cancer.
She cited California's Safe Drinking Water law, which requires labels to include information on products that contain ingredients known to cause cancer.
Hassig was critical of governmental agencies that are aware of studies on the environmental impacts on cancer but have been slow in responding to those risks.
"We're hoping that the science will have a major determining factor (in developing regulations). We're hoping that government can become a far better partner."
E-mail Jeff Meyers at: jmeyers@pressrepublican.com
