Understanding cancer risks.
World Cancer Day was yesterday, so it’s an appropriate time to hear about a recently published review paper which describes a procedure for working out the relative risks posed by different carcinogens. Of course if the researcher, Professor Bernard Stewart of the University of New South Wales, had stopped there he wouldn’t have been providing anything new. However, the procedure he described also takes into account the context under which someone might be exposed to a carcinogen, and grades against both if something is a carcinogen, and to what degree, as well as what contribution the context of exposure makes. It’s this combination of factors which makes the procedure truly useful in figuring out the overall risk.
Stewart divided risk into five bands, from ‘proven’ down to ‘unlikely’. As might be expected smoking tobacco is right up the top of the list and drinking alcohol is not far behind. Right down the bottom are many things which are mentioned once in a while and have reached the state of urban myths; artificial sweeteners, deodorants, fluoridated water, electromagnetic fields, breast implants and dental fillings. Apparently coffee too, though I never knew that people thought coffee could cause cancer. Interestingly mobile phones still fall into the ‘unknown’ category; conclusive evidence is lacking but it’s too early to rule out the risk associated with long term use.
The message to take home here is that while it’s good to pay attention to warnings about possible carcinogens, it’s more important to be aware of all risk factors otherwise you may become alarmed over something which isn’t going to affect you at all. And no-one needs that extra stress.
The reference below will get you the study, if you’ve got access to an appropriate subscription, otherwise here’s some more info in a couple of news stories which covered the release yesterday:
Study quashes cancer myths
Myths put to rest in cancer study
STEWART, B. (2008). Banding carcinogenic risks in developed countries: A procedural basis for qualitative assessment. Mutation Research/Reviews in Mutation Research, 658(1-2), 124-151. DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2007.11.007
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February 5th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
You can also choose to perceive every action you take as having unforseen risks. Each perspective begins in your mind. Consider The Secret book/ DVD by Australian Rhonda Byrne. One cancer survivor tells her story as part of Byrne’s book. This woman was diagnosed with breast cancer and reacted by expressing gratitude for healing. She watched funny movies and did things which uplifted her spirits. The result was her cancer disappeared within three months with no chemotherapy of medical treatment.