On May 6th of 2010, a report titled, "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now", the 2008-2009 Annual Report of the President's Cancer Panel, dated, April, 2010 was provided to the public.

 The report can be accessed in full at the URL found below: http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf ;

This report was produced by the President's Cancer Panel, which was created by an act of Congress in1971.  The Panel is charged with monitoring the National Cancer Program.  In the Cancer Panel's letter to President Barak Obama, which accompanies the report, the cochairs of the Panel wrote: 

"The Panel was particularly concerned to find that the true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated. 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. One such ubiquitous chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), is still found in many consumer products and remains unregulated in the United States, despite the growing link between BPA and several diseases, including various cancers." 

"Environmental exposures that increase the national cancer burden do not represent a new front in the ongoing war on cancer. However, the grievous harm from this group of carcinogens has not been addressed adequately by the National Cancer Program. The American people—even before they are born—are bombarded continually with myriad combinations of these dangerous exposures. The Panel urges you most strongly to usethe power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our Nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives." 

This is a science based cancer prevention message.  It is the strongest message of this type that has thus far been set forth by federal government.  Our national government is finally beginning to move in the right direction on cancer burden reduction. 

In Part III of this report, Taking Action to Reduce Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do, the following statement is found.   

"Individuals and communities are not being provided all available information about environmental exposures they have experienced, the cumulative effects of such exposures, and how to minimize harmful exposures. The disproportionate burden of exposure to known or suspected carcinogens experienced by specific populations (e.g., agricultural and chemical workers and their families, radiation-exposed groups such as uranium mine workers, nuclear industry workers, nuclear test site workers and "downwinders," residents of cancer "hot spots" or other contaminated areas) has not been fully acknowledged." 

Part III contains a list of recommendations as to what an individual can do to reduce his/her exposure to various cancer causing agents and chemical carcinogens.  However, reducing exposure to carcinogenic persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which contaminate all animal fat, is not included in the list of recommendations.  Exposure to carcinogenic POPs in the food supply comprises a major proportion of total pollutant carcinogen exposure. This particular food supply consumption exposure route is certainly assignificant as exposure to chemical carcinogens in non-food consumer products, respiratory exposure to exhaust carcinogens and exposure to carcinogenic pesticides which contaminate non-organic fruits and vegetables.  

Despite the fact that this report constitutes the best effort of federal government thus far to address the matter of reducing cancer incidence at a time when cancer exists at epidemic levels in the United States, the report fails to come close to providing Americans with a state of scientific knowledge set of cancer prevention recommendations.  It is outrageous that the President's Cancer Panel would choose not to make currently existing scientific knowledge concerning the presence of carcinogenic POPs in the animal fat portion of the US food supply known to the American public.  The US government still lags far behind the scientific and activist communities and does not deserve the respect of Americans due to its continuing failure to use scientific knowledge to prevent cancer.  The President's Cancer Panel should consider the fact that it too is failing to fully inform the public about highly significant parts of the cancer causation problem.

Donald L. Hassig, Director

Cancer Action NY

Cancer Action Network

315.262.2456

www.canceractionny.org