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Are we winning the war against cancer? Probably not. Look around you and think who had cancer in your friends and relatives. At our office, two of my staff members had cancers in the last seven years. One had liver cancer and the other had lymphoma.
Why is cancer increasing in spite of advances in medicine and information technology? Probably there are many sources of hidden carcinogens and we are exposed to these unwittingly. These hidden carcinogens can be in our food, drinks, cosmetics, personal care products, and clothing.
Here is one abstract that I found in Pubmed, the leading resource that most physicians use.
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Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 2002;53(3):293-305.
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[Flame retardants--use and hazards for human]
[Article in Polish]
Goralczyk K, Strucinski P, Czaja K, Hernik A, Ludwicki JK.
Zaklad Toksykologii Srodowiskowej Panstwowy Zaklad Higieny 00-791 Warszawa, ul. Chocimska 24.
Flame retardants (FRs) are chemicals which added to materials during or after manufacture, inhibit or even suppress the combustion process due to their thermal stability. Large quantities of FRs are added to the plastic material (resins) in variety of electrical and electronic appliances including television and computer casing. The other uses of these compounds include production of building materials, upholstered furniture, textiles, wall covering, carpets, hydraulic fluids as well as vehicles and aircraft. Taking into account the chemical structure, there are five main groups of FRs: brominated, chlorinated, phosphorous-containing, nitrogen-containing (i.e. melamines) and inorganic compounds. Halogenated compounds, especially polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of brominated flame retardants, due to their lipophilic characteristics and persistence have become ubiquitous environmental contaminants. There are indications that PBDEs may affect hormone function acting as endocrine disruption and may be toxic for developing brain. These compounds have been associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in humans, a variety of cancers in rodents and disruption of thyroid hormones balance. Similarly to other persistent halogenated compounds they are also able to affect the xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes activity. PBDEs are now found as residues in sediments, wildlife and human (milk, serum adipose tissue) samples. The predominant congeners in environmental samples, including human specimens are two congeners: 47 and 99. Currently, the estimated daily intake of PBDEs by adult humans is equal 51 ng x day-1 while by breast-fed infants equals 110 ng x day-1.
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- [Comment: Everything we do, eat, clean with, spray, wear, etc has risk and benefits. It is our duty to ourselves to evaluate the possible consequences. Most medications will help us, however, all medications have side effects too. In this abstract, clothing with fire retardants has possible risks if worn daily for a long time. However, it is potentially helpful too if there is house fire.]
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- Leo Leonidas, MD, FAAP
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