Recently, the U.S. government reports on known cancer causing agents, or carcinogens, added 14 major suspects to its list. While most people have known someone who has been diagnosed with Cancer, there is little understanding amongst the masses as to what Cancer is. Briefly, Cancer is a disease in which certain cells fail to stop growing and do not recognize tissue boundaries. The exact biochemical mechanism of what causes the cells to go awry on a sub-cellular level is still unknown but clinical research as well as efforts in public health fields have helped to identify factors in the environment that make individuals prone to the development of Cancer.
Unfortunately for lovers of summer food, particularly those fond of the fun flavors of food off the grill at BBQs, there is some bad news. Foods grilled over Charcoal Briquettes contribute to the development of Cancer. Imagine those carcinogenic fumes that emanate from the combustion of animal fats. You know, those fumes that drip off of that juicy steak on the "ole Bar-B." Those carcinogenic fumes stick to meat, which is then eaten. They are deadly, but delicious nonetheless - especially when attached to a 3lb. Porterhouse.
The National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, which issued the biannual report, listed second hand cigarette smoke as one of the main culprits in spreading the modern day scourge and naturally so. But, it also included such pleasant things as sunshine. Even though it sounds a little strange - all the hydro and fluoro-carbons we pumped into the air burnt a big whole in the ozone layer. To make it plain, a few rays - and in some places, a cool breeze can mean death.
Old "baddies" like Saccharine were eliminated from the list but new scapegoats like Silica Dust - a byproduct of ore mining - and sunlamps made the cut. "Two decades ago, when saccharin was shown to produce bladder tumors in rats, it was a prudent, protective step to consider the sweetener to be a likely human carcinogen," NIEHS Director Dr. Kenneth Olden said.
Ironically, the Breast Cancer Drug - tamoxifen was listed as a carcinogen. Recent studies show that this drug, which is used to treat a particular kind of cancer, can lead to the development of tumors elsewhere in the body. "There has been concern expressed that the listing of tamoxifen ...could raise concerns among patients regarding its use for cancer treatment or prevention," the report said. However, the report pointed out that the benefits could outweigh the risks.
Although tamoxifen is the first drug that shows signs of relief in the fight against breast cancer, researchers have found that the drug can also increase the risk of ovarian cancer. However, the chances of getting ovarian cancer are so rare that doctors are saying the increased risk is small. Other substances that were added to the "reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens" list include diesel exhaust particulates, isoprene, chloroprene, phenolphthalein, tetrafluoroethylene and trichloroethylene
