President’s Cancer Panel: Cancer Caused by Contaminants “Grossly Underestimated”

President’s Cancer Panel: Cancer Caused by Contaminants “Grossly Underestimated”
Saturday, May 08, 2010

Much to the delight of environmentalists and to the chagrin of industry, a panel of experts has warned that cancer, the No. 2 killer of Americans, has been “grossly underestimated” when it comes to potential causes from everyday items and procedures. The three-person President’s Cancer Panel declared in its annual report that people are “bombarded” with chemicals, gases and radiation that can cause cancer, and the federal government—especially President Barack Obama—should do more to protect Americans from these carcinogens.

“With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or understudied and largely unregulated, exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread,” the report says. Only a few hundred of the chemicals have been tested for safety, according to the Cancer Panel.

The panel also warned about the uncertain dangers posed by cell phones, arguing people should wear headsets and limit their call times to minimize exposure. And it recommended that the military “aggressively address the toxic and environmental exposures it has caused,” in particular the needs of the people of the Marshall Islands, who were exposed to major radiation during U.S. nuclear weapons testing from 1946 to 1958.

The American Cancer Society took issue with the report, describing it as provocative while perhaps overstating some risks at the expense of known causes of cancer, like tobacco, obesity, alcohol and sunlight.

http://www.allgov.com/Controversies/ViewNews/Presidents_Cancer_Panel__Cancer_Caused_by_Contaminants_Grossly_Underestimated_100508

that we're not covered head to toe to avoid the sun and don't have a glass of wine, but toxic chem's are not much to worry about? Are they on the side of industry or something?

a CYA measure.

EX: if you die of cancer and smoke/obese they can mark off a box that says those things contributed to the cancer. So it then gets added to stats. They don't need to prove it and it only takes a second to check off. There might be some things out there they missed and it could embarrass them.

Just one guess out of money, but I am checking off 'I think CYA contributed to this'

common personal habits and behaviors as the main causes of cancer (it's basically your fault you have cancer, in other words) over the poisoning of our food, air, water, etc. Seems to shift responsibility away from business and industry and onto us. Maybe they're correct, but I'm still more suspicious of man-made toxins and hazards (which I have little control over) than I am of sunshine and butter and beer.

cancer rates would be growing by 80% in the years to come and were making plans to expand their building. Some of that is obviously the baby boomers retiring. But I had to wonder if it wasn't something to do with the environment too. I guess I was right. Unfortunately.

we're as appalled as everyone else.

Environmental contaminents poison all of us, and how anyone is sticking up for endocrine disruptors and other environmental poisons is beyond me.