Dr. Sam Epstein speaks on preventing Cancer
Subject: Rex Warren forwarded this e-mail to me..............
Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 11:32:05 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of
California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
Dear Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to read an e-mail from Lalita, that was forwarded to me from Rex Warren.
The message may be of interest to you, as this group's main interest is preventing cancer caused by chemical (your
"registered" POISONS) pollution.
----- Original Message -----
From: Lalita Claff
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 12:13 PM
Subject: CPC conference call: causes of childhood cancer
Hi Everyone - again an email going out to a number of people whose addresses are surpressed though using the Bcc tool on email.
I spent two hours on a conference call to the US on Wednesday. The last hour was spent listening to Dr Samuel Epstein MD talk - the subject being increases in childhood cancer. I took notes - but know that I'm not the best note taker, and so I take this time to appologise for spelling errors and mistaken and patchy information and ask you - if you're interested in knowing more, to go to the CPC website and validate the information that I'm passing on and also to use names and studies to find out more on the web.
http://www.preventcancer.com
The CPC is about informing the public as to the preventable causes of cancer and the risks we take by unkowingly exposing ourselves and our families to potent carcinogens which are in the food, air, water and every day products that we use. There are numerous articles and resources on the website that you can access for free and as was pointed out on the call - all the information that Dr Epstein gives is thoroughly researched and backed up by numerous references. Also - I don't know if the figures are the same for Australia (Dr Epstein was talking from America), but it would pay to make enquiries - and simply to become more informed. If this subject concerns you, please join the CPC. Membership forms are on the website.
Dr Epstein spoke on food irradiation. He has written a thorough article which is published on the net and has been published in many leading health journals. The dose of radiation given to food is sometimes up to 1 billion times that of a chest x ray. There are new chemicals being created in this process which have not been tested. We have no idea how these chemicals will affect us. The only reason to irradiate food is to reduce food poisoning. Dr Epstein suggested that the way to go with this is to clean up the industry and spoke of some of the filthy unhygenic practises - especially in the slaughtering of cattle. He also warned us that retail outlets eg restaurants and school canteens, and hospitals need give no warning that their products contain irradiated food.
CHILDHOOD CANCER
The incidence of childhood cancer has risen something like 25-30% in the last few decades. Dr Epstein stated that this is clearly environmental - not genetic. - In some cases specific cancers like brain cancer and leukemia are up by 40%. Dr Epstein mentioned that the earliest information on avoidable causes of cancer in children came from Dr Alice Stuart (UK) (not sure of the spelling) who showed that the children of pregnant women who received x-rays in the last trimester of pregnancy had a fourfold incidence of childhood lukemia.
Dr Epstein also told of his own experience in neo-natal mice that were used to test for carcinogenity. Results that would normally take up to 2 years to show were obvious in a few months in mice who were exposed to carcinogens within 24hours of birth.
Pediatric radiation
At one point it was common practise to irradiate the scalps of children to treat ringworm (and I think throats to treat enlarged tonsils). There was a high brain cancer rate in children whose scalps had been treated and high neck and throat cancer in children whose tonsils had been treated (please check facts in second)
Dr Epstein also spoke about the higher incidence of clear cell vaginal carcinoma in girls whose mothers had been given DES in pregnancy (a synthetic estrogen). ("Our Stolen Future" has good information on this).
See CPC website to read about Lindane (used in Lice treatment) shampoos and the increased incidence of brain cancer in children.
RITALIN & HYPERACTIVITY
Ritalin has a potent liver carcinogen. - see CPC website
WORKPLACE EXPOSURE
Men and women who are exposed in the workplace to carcinogens have high risk children. If the father is exposed to carcinogens the child will have increased risk (pre-conception as well as during and post conception) - read The Politics of Cancer Revisited (by Dr Epstein) Parents can carry home carcinogens on their clothes, skins and also in some cases by exhaling.
HOME & SCHOOL
Pesticides used on lawns and gardens are a major risk to children and pets.
Golf courses - a farmer will use 5lbs pesticide per acre. Some golf courses use 10-15 lbs per acre. - It pays to find out about your local playing fields & walking routes (my comment)
DEA & TEA in Personal care products
These chemicals produce nitrosamines in personal care products. The rough calculation is that carcinogens absorbed through the skin are 100x greater than when absorbed through food. When taken through the mouth they're digested and through the liver can be detoxified, but when on the skin, they by-pass the liver. Dr Epstein mentioned FDA residue analyses that have shown carcinogenic residues in food, veges etc and suggested as much as possible to buy organic - and insist that organic food is available through the canteen.
Dr Epstein also talked about the residues of industrial pesticides and chemicals in the fat of milk.
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If you read this and want more information - please do not hesitate to email me back and give me your phone number and I can call you - or call me (if you have my number).
There are good alternatives which I can recommend - or read Dr Epsteins book "The Safe Shopper's Bible"
Well Mr. Helliker, People all over the world are becoming more and more concerned about your "registered" POISONS - when will it be "legal" (in your opinion) to use safe and far more effective (unregistered) alternatives to actually control pest problems?
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten
http://www.getipm.com
http://www.thebestcontrol.com
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