Monitoring Exposure to Environmental Carcinogens

(October 29, 2009) - How much and how many potential cancer (Read about "Cancer: What It Is") causing substances are people exposed to every day? That's a question a new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) would like answered. The report from an ACS scientific advisory subcommittee on cancer and the environment says exposure to carcinogens should be minimized or eliminated whenever feasible, and calls for new strategies to more effectively and efficiently screen the large number of chemicals to which the public is exposed.

"The issue of environmental pollutants in air, water, food, and consumer products is one that generates significant public concern and uncertainty," said Jonathan Samet, M.D., co-chair of the committee that authored the report. "With this report, we felt it was important to put environmental pollutants into the broader context of cancer prevention, which includes efforts to reduce tobacco use, improve nutrition, increase physical activity, maintain a healthy body weight and provide vaccinations against the infections that cause cancer." (Read about "Reduce Cancer Risks" "Quit Smoking" "Getting Started on Fitness" "Body Mass Index" "Immunizations")

"Exposure levels to environmental pollution to the general public are typically far lower than the levels associated with the proven cancer risks shown in occupational or other settings," said Elizabeth "Terry" T.H. Fontham, M.P.H., Dr.P.H., national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society and co-chair of the committee. "Nevertheless, these low-level exposures do cause us concern because of the multiplicity of substances, the fact that many exposures are out of the public's control, and the potential that even low-level exposures contribute to the cancer burden when large numbers of people are exposed."