Though overall cancer incidence and mortality have continued to decline in recent years, cancer continues to devastate the lives of far too many Americans. In 2009 alone, 1.5 million American men, women, and children were diagnosed with cancer, and 562,000 died from the disease. There is a growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer. The Pres. Cancer Panel dedicated its 2008¿2009 activities to examining the impact of environmental factors on cancer risk. The Panel considered industrial, occupational, and agricultural exposures as well as exposures related to medical practice, military activities, modern lifestyles, and natural sources. This report presents the Panel¿s recommend. to mitigate or eliminate these barriers. Illus.
Published more than three decades after Rachel Carson's Silent Spring warned of the impact of chemicals on the environment, this book offers a critique of current thinking on cancer and its causes. It argues that the evidence has been wilfully ignored, and that the environment is still being poisoned. Throughout her study, the author weaves two stories - of Rachel Carson and her battle to be heard and of her own cancer of the bladder, which she traces back to agricultural and industrial contamination.
The Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine wanted to address the link between environmental factors and the development of cancer in light of recent advances in genomics. They asked what research tools are needed, how new scientific information can be applied in a timely manner to reduce the burden of cancer, and how this can be flexible enough to treat the individual.
This report considers the biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the pathogenicity of tobacco smoke. Many Surgeon General's reports have considered research findings on mechanisms in assessing the biological plausibility of associations observed in epidemiologic studies. Mechanisms of disease are important because they may provide plausibility, which is one of the guideline criteria for assessing evidence on causation. This report specifically reviews the evidence on the potential mechanisms by which smoking causes diseases and considers whether a mechanism is likely to be operative in the production of human disease by tobacco smoke. This evidence is relevant to understanding how smoking causes disease, to identifying those who may be particularly susceptible, and to assessing the potential risks of tobacco products.
Explores the development of the ideas of evolutionary biology, particularly as affected by the increasing understanding of genetics and of the chemical basis of inheritance.
The war on cancer -- Poisoned fish -- The quality of water -- Radiation protection -- Environmental crime -- Environmental warfare -- The lure of brownfields -- Environmental justice -- The woodlands -- The biotic mosaic -- Headwaters and watersheds -- Coastal New Jersey and rising waters.
Ecology and Evolution of Cancer is a timely work outlining ideas that not only represent a substantial and original contribution to the fields of evolution, ecology, and cancer, but also goes beyond by connecting the interfaces of these disciplines. This work engages the expertise of a multidisciplinary research team to collate and review the latest knowledge and developments in this exciting research field. The evolutionary perspective of cancer has gained significant international recognition and interest, which is fully understandable given that somatic cellular selection and evolution are elegant explanations for carcinogenesis. Cancer is now generally accepted to be an evolutionary and ecological process with complex interactions between tumor cells and their environment sharing many similarities with organismal evolution. As a critical contribution to this field of research the book is important and relevant for the applications of evolutionary biology to understand the origin of cancers, to control neoplastic progression, and to prevent therapeutic failures. - Covers all aspects of the evolution of cancer, appealing to researchers seeking to understand its origins and effects of treatments on its progression, as well as to lecturers in evolutionary medicine - Functions as both an introduction to cancer and evolution and a review of the current research on this burgeoning, exciting field, presented by an international group of leading editors and contributors - Improves understanding of the origin and the evolution of cancer, aiding efforts to determine how this disease interferes with biotic interactions that govern ecosystems - Highlights research that intends to apply evolutionary principles to help predict emergence and metastatic progression with the aim of improving therapies
From the pollution-infested landscape of urban areas to the leached soil of decimated rain forests, the human race has exerted its will on the environment with reckless abandon. In effect, humankind has become a most dangerous type of Earth Cancer. Now this rampant form of cancer is threatening the very existence of life on this planet. Is it our divine right to control all species and habitats? Does our insatiable hunger for expansion and disregard for the environment represent a collective death-wish by our species? If so, how can we change our fate? This extraordinary book confronts these questions by studying the complex relationship between ethics, economics, and ecology. More than a chronicle of environmental devastation, Earth Cancer challenges human beings to examine and redefine their economic, social, and moral values in a way that respects the interdependence of the biosphere. Only when this level of self-understanding is reached can humans realize their full potential as intelligent species and preserve the earth's ecology for future generations. The facts are shocking. Every day on Earth, approximately 75 plant and animal species are driven into biological extinction. Forests are being destroyed and the wealth of our planet's resources are being depleted at an astounding rate. The planet as we know it is facing a barren future unless the human race can halt the spread of a cancer that holds Earth's fate in the balance. To fight back, we must come to terms with several harsh realities: 1. Human beings must realize that our destiny is inextricably linked to the preservation of other species and environmental resources. 2. We must adjust our perspective to view the human race as an equal, interdependent part of the biosphere, not as ruler over it. 3. We must temper our seemingly unquenchable thirst for progress with a more holistic vision for the long-term survival of our species. In short, we must confront the source of this deadly earth cancer—ourselves. Earth Cancer sounds a wake-up call for humanity. Weigel contends that humans have constructed a self-defeating Berlin Wall between themselves and other species. This wall is built from arrogance toward the environment as symbolized by the systematic destruction of habitats and the reckless generation of waste. As our blind pursuit of economic development and expansion continues to prevail over ecological concern, the wall grows larger and the devastation more prolific. Weigel explains that humans face a moral and ethical imperative to stem this tide before it is too late. Because the fate of so many species is dependent upon the decisions we make, the ideal of interdependence with all other members of the biosphere must be embraced. This important book provides new insight about our attitude toward the environment and suggests that a change in our priorities could mean a change in our destiny.
No Family History presents compelling evidence of environmental links to breast cancer, ranging from everyday cosmetics to industrial waste. Sabrina McCormick weaves the story of one survivor with no family history into a powerful exploration of the big business of breast cancer. As drugs, pink products, and corporate sponsorships generate enormous revenue to find a cure, a growing number of experts argue that we should instead increase focus on prevention—reducing environmental exposures that have contributed to the sharp increase of breast cancer rates. But the dollars continue to pour into the search for a cure, and the companies that profit, including some pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies, may in fact contribute to the environmental causes of breast cancer. No Family History shows how profits drive our public focus on the cure rather than prevention, and suggests new ways to reduce breast cancer rates in the future.
