by Catherine Delahunty
We’re aware of breast cancer, but are we really aware of the risk factors?
October is breast cancer awareness month, and the Green Party is pleased to support it.
However, most of the campaigning has so far been focused on early detection and intervention with drugs and other cancer treatments.
It is incredibly important for women to focus on early detection (like self-examination) and treatment (not delaying the start) as these things can and do save lives.
But we need to be talking about occupational and lifestyle risks as well. We need to understand what’s causing the epidemic of breast cancer if we want to stop it. That means talking about exposure to known human carcinogens.
While genetic predisposition plays a part in determining the risk of developing breast cancer, women working in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, cosmetics, hair-dressing, printing, textile and dying industries, as well as airline personnel, health care, and metal plate workers are potentially at increased risk of developing breast cancer.
As well as workplace risks, household chemicals such as chlorinated cleaning products and garden pesticides are being studied for links with breast cancer. Food additives like methyleugenol have caused breast tumours in laboratory animals, as have some solvents, dyes, foams, and flame retardants. Beauty products containing parabens may also pose some risk.
There are so many potentially hazardous chemicals in our daily lives that it’s hard for women to read every label and protect themselves from every risk. We need government regulation that prohibits the use of known human carcinogens in common products, and we need breast cancer awareness month to highlight these risks as well.
Fortunately, there are ways for women to reduce their individual risk of developing breast cancer. One study from earlier this year found that women who regularly eat mushrooms and drink green tea can reduce their risk of developing breast cancerby up to 91 percent.
So this month, brew yourself a cup of green tea, treat yourself to a thai mushroom soup, and have a think about the environmental factors in your life that could be putting you at risk. If that’s a scary prospect, join me in lobbying the Government for better regulation of common carcinogenic chemicals.
Published in Environment & Resource Management by Catherine Delahunty on Fri, October 9th, 2009
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on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
As a male who was diagnosed with breast cancer, I would like to remind men as well to focus on early detection.
We do get struck with this disease as well, though acknowledge that a double mastectomy for men is a lot less traumatic then for women.
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“women working in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries… are potentially at increased risk of developing breast cancer.”
I wonder if women working in the factories making breast-cancer drugs are at increased risk of getting breast cancer. That would be cruelly ironic, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
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Lots of really interesting research from the Cornell University “Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors” program here: http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/
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Hear Hear ! Thanks very much Catherine … for making these very valid points !
Incidently, you can add cigarette smoke to that list of environmental factors.
And a “must read” book for all women who care about breast cancer prevention is : “WOMEN OF SILENCE … the emotional healing of Breast Cancer” by Grace Gawler (published in Australia by Hill of Content)
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