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Cancer Action NY inc. |
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ACS Falls Far Short of Science Based Cancer Prevention
Media Advisory 10/28/09 For Immediate Release Cancer Action NY Cancer Action Network Donald L. Hassig, Director 315.262.2456 ____________________________________________________________________________ ACS Falls Far Short of Science Based Cancer Prevention The recently published report by the American Cancer Society (ACS) on the subject of pollutant carcinogens is far from a science based, weight of the evidence report on this subject matter. If it was such a report, then the following two statements (red text below) would not be found in the report. (All text within quotation marks was taken from an article By Nancy Walsh, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today Published: October 28, 2009 Considering the first of these statements (found in red below), it is unwise to wait until "a substantial impact on cancer risk in human populations" has been demonstrated before educating the public concerning the cancer risk imposed by a particular exposure to a pollutant carcinogen. The triggering moment for public education on pollutant carcinogen exposure reduction/avoidance should come as soon as the weight of the scientific evidence has shown that the particular pollutant exposure imposes significant cancer risk in humans or animals. The ACS protocol leaves the public in a situation of being unknowingly exposed to known and suspected pollutant carcinogens. ""The ACS's prevention activities take many forms, but are primarily focused on modifiable risk factors that have been demonstrated to have a substantial impact on cancer risk in human populations," Elizabeth T.H. Fontham, DrPH, of Louisiana State University in New Orleans, and colleagues wrote in November/December issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians." The second statement found below in red is false. The US EPA dioxin reassessment provides a quantification of the amount of cancer risk that is imposed by a specific amount of dioxin exposure. Based upon that information it is possible to quantify the number of cancers caused by dioxin exposure in the United States. That number is 200,000 US cancer cases per 70 years. "They noted that the ACS relies on the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer and the National Toxicology Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to identify and classify potentially carcinogenic substances." "To date, more than 935 agents, processes, and other exposures have been rated as to carcinogenicity, including 108 that have been categorized as "carcinogenic to humans." However, current systems of identification and classification are limited and do not provide quantitative risk assessments and overall estimates of disease burden in the population, the authors wrote." "To that end, the ACS is supporting efforts to improve toxicity testing and screening of chemicals, a process that began in the 1960s, when its epidemiologists collaborated on research linking asbestos to lung cancer and mesothelioma." Cancer Action NY educates the public on the subject of know and suspected human pollutant carcinogen exposure reduction/avoidance. We are currently focusing this outreach on dioxins and dioxin-like compounds, as well as exhaust pollutant carcinogens, including: benzene, formaldehyde and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We advocate for government action that would do the same. Government continues to refuse to do this as does ACS because of the money. The big money will not allow either government health agencies or ACS to tell people to stop eating animal fat containing foods, including: dairy products, meats and eggs because these foods are contaminated with dioxins, dioxin-like compounds and other persistent hydrocarbon pollutants, among these, bisphenol-A, PBDEs, PAHs and numerous lipophilic pesticides, all of which have been found in scientific studies published in the peer reviewed literature to be either known or suspected human carcinogens. Donald L. Hassig, Director Cancer Action NY Cancer Action Network 315.262.2456 www.canceractionny.org Message sent by Cancer Action NY Hassig to CHE Miller in response to the repeated bad behaviors of CHE
Elise, CHE is helping government and industry create the illusion that the public is being protected against pollutant exposure in a significant and science-based way. You are our enemies. We will battle against you and your kind as we continue to battle against the bad corporate kings that you serve. joyous in Nature, Don Hassig Donald L. Hassig, Director Cancer Action NY Cancer Action Network 315.262.2456 www.canceractionny.org Message sent by Elise Miller, Director, CHE in response to Hassig request to join CHE Cancer WG
Hi Don: Thanks for your request to join CHE Cancer Working Group. Very occasionally, we have to deny a request to join or rejoin CHE. One reason we do this is when a number of CHE partners express concern about an individual’s postings to a listserv--postings that do not adhere to CHE’s commitment to science and civility. Given other CHE members have found your postings repeatedly disruptive and inappropriate, we cannot grant your request. We certainly wish you well in advancing your commitment to health and the environment and hope you find other groups with which you can engage on these issues. Sincerely, Elise -- Elise Miller, MEd Director Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) 1646 Dow Road Freeland, WA 98249 (phone) 360-331-7989 (fax) 360-331-7908 elise@healthandenvironment.org www.healthandenvironment.org Message Sent by Cancer Action NY Director Hassig to CHE regarding joining the Cancer WG
Hi Erika, I would like to join the CHE Cancer WG. Please make arrangements for this to be transacted. Who is the current lead on this WG? joyous in Nature, Don Hassig This message was sent of M. Lerner, moderator of the CHE Breast Cancer WG on October 20th, 2009.
Michael, I must conclude that the CHE Breast Cancer WG is moderated by an individual who does not seek the protection of the public health regardless of the consequences. joyous in Nature, Don Hassig
Cancer Action NY This message was sent by M. Lerner to Cancer Action NY on October 20th, 2009.
Don: I regret we can't flip back and forth this way. Also, this list is too comprehensive for our format. I wish you well exploring these important questions. Michael Lerner This message was sent by Cancer Action NY to Michael Lerner, moderator of the CHE Breast Cancer WG on October 20th, 2009.
Hi Michael, I would like to temporarily rejoin the Breast Cancer WG for the purpose of initiating a discussion of the matter of dioxin exposure breast cancer risk and public education on dioxin exposure reduction. The following questions constitute a basis for the discussion. 1. How are Americans exposed to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds? 2. How much dioxin are Americans exposed to? 3. What quantity of cancer risk is imposed by dioxin exposure? 4. What is the state of knowledge regarding dioxin as a breast carcinogen? 5. How many cancer cases are caused by dioxin exposure in the USA? 6. What steps can be taken to reduce dioxin exposure? 7. Why are the state health departments and the federal public health agencies, including the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Service silent on the matter of dioxin exposure reduction that involves reduced consumption of commercially produced foods which contain animal fat? 8. What is the position of the CHE Breast Cancer WG regarding the use of dioxin contaminated animal fat in the production of food animal feeds? joyous in Nature, Don Hassig Donald L. Hassig, Director Cancer Action NY Cancer Action Network 315.262.2456 www.canceractionny.org This message was posted to the listserve of the CHE Breast Cancer WG on October 4th, 2009 in response to the Rizzo statement.
Jean, Why should this WG not be one of the forums for debating the failure of government to use scientific information as a basis for prevention education in order to fulfill the mandate that government operates under that being the mandate to protect the public health? There is something wrong with your heart and thinking to want to avoid this issue. in Nature, Don Hassig Donald L. Hassig, Director Cancer Action NY This message was posted to the listserve of the CHE Breast Cancer WG on October 3rd, 2009 by Jeanne Rizzo of the Breast Cancer Fund.
I agree that there are other forums for this sort of debate
Jeanne Rizzo Breast Cancer Fund This message was posted to the listserve of the CHE Breast Cancer WG on October 4th, 2009 in response to the calls for "civility" and maintaining a "safe" venue for discussion made by Mr. Lerner.
Dear Members of the CHE Breast Cancer WG, I believe that using the phrase "muddying the waters" was a very, very civil way of expressing what Mr. Lee was doing. I am disappointed in the lack of strength that appears to exist among the members of this working group. Why do so many of you remain silent on the substance of the interchange between Mr. Lee and myself. Isn't it obvious to you all that government is failing to educate people about prevention and that this is causing people to get cancer and die. How can you criticize me for just speaking the strong, reasonable truth about an obvious effort to deceive people about something as serious as this? Surely the members of this WG are aware of the fact that government is not fulfilling its responsibility to protect the public health. Choosing to not inform the public about pollutant carcinogen exposures such as dioxin exposure is choosing to let uninformed people continue being exposed and suffer the consequences of that exposure. Your efforts to shield Mr. Lee are making you a part of this bad behavior. Why don't you want to expose bad behavior and thereby bring it to an end? The people who develop cancer because of their exposure to dioxins and other pollutant carcinogens such as exhaust contsituents have an undeniable right to place the blame for their cancers on the government and those that make it easy for the government to do this. in Nature, Don Hassig Donald L. Hassig, Director Cancer Action NY Cancer Action Network 315.262.2456 www.canceractionny.org View Older Posts »
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