The health care business has always had two motivating factors that draw talented people in to the various careers it offers. The opportunity to improve peoples’ lives, and the opportunity to make big bucks. When these two factors are in balance a great number of people benefit. If no attention is paid to the business side, valuable ideas and practices may go unnoticed by the general public and only a lucky few will benefit. If, however, the profit motive gets most of the attention, valuable treatments and information that may not be the most profitable get swept under the rug and forgotten.

Recently the Presidents’ Cancer Panel came out with some bold statements after over a year of examining the causes of the cancer epidemic in this country. To quote their report; “The true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated. Of the 80,000 chemicals on the market, most are either unstudied or understudied and largely unregulated. Only a few hundred of these chemicals have been adequately tested for safety.” Among the worst offenders (most potent cancer causers) are bisphenol a (BPA– common in many consumer products and totally unregulated), formaldehyde (what aspartame AKA  acesulphate turns into at body temperature ), and benzene (given off gasoline fumes and food  microwaved  in plastic or styrofoam, common in paints, dyes, adhesives and pharmaceuticals). Some chemicals indirectly increase cancer risk by causing immune system and endocrine system (hormone producing glands and organs) problems.

Pesticides approved by the FDA contain nearly 900 ingredients many of which are toxic. Farmers and their families are therefore at high risk. Household cleaners and pest control products can put the general public at risk. Women, children and the unborn are most vulnerable. Research shows that chlorine and other disinfectants used in public water supplies while greatly reducing infectious disease, may increase cancer risk. Pharmaceuticals are becoming more and more common in public water systems as the cost of removing them from waste water (after they are flushed or rinsed down the sink) is too great. Many dangerous chemicals banned over 30 years ago remain in the environment because they break down very slowly.

Modern medicine can contribute to cancer risk in other ways. The increase in medical radiation has nearly doubled the average dose per person. This is especially troubling for children. Small exposures accumulated over time may actually exceed exposure levels of atomic bomb survivors and be just as damaging. Many doctors and radiologists are unaware of this problem and are surprisingly lax with safety precautions. Highest risk are CT scans and contrast mediums.

So why isn’t the government and industry doing more to protect the public? The Presidents’ Cancer Panel cites several reasons.

1. Environmental causes of cancer have traditionally been a low research priority compared to genetic causes and treatment after a person has the disease. This results in inadequate funding.

2. Due to undue industry pressure and influence there are weak laws and regulations controlling potentially dangerous substances.

3. The prevailing method of action tends to be reactionary rather than precautionary. It must be proven beyond a doubt that a substance is dangerous before it is removed from public use instead of first adequately testing the safety of the product. Otherwise industry profits might suffer.

4. Due to the inefficient bureaucracy, even the weak regulations on the books don’t get enforced very well.

It is interesting to note the response of the American Cancer Society to this report. They state that although more research is needed on environmental toxins, the conclusions of the Presidents’ Cancer Panel are overstated in light of the available research. Could this attitude be influenced by the generous donations of cash from the industries being criticized in the report? After all, even though the efforts of the American Cancer Society have led to better treatments for cancer (a multi-billion dollar business), they have failed miserably at prevention (no profit).           All one has to do is compare the U.S. cancer rates with that of the rest of the world to observe this obvious fact. It is the populations with the least chemical exposure that have the lowest cancer rates. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it’s probably a duck. With one out of 5 Americans dying of cancer (central WV is double the national average), this issue can no longer be brushed off as a radical left wing political agenda. It has become a matter of our very survival. You can read the full Presidents’ Cancer Panel report by web searching the title.
Dr. Magly operates Total Health Chiropractic (304-286-2905).