The "C" Word

Cancer.

Every single one of us knows at least one person who has fallen victim to this mostly silent and very deadly disease. And, for most of us, that person is a friend, family member, or partner. For me, it's several extended family members, all four grandparents, and my father.

I call cancer "silent" because we have no definite answer to what causes it, and it often creep up without any symptoms. If caught early, most cancers can be treated as a chronic disease rather than a fatal one, but there's always that lingering anxiety, that constant knowledge that someone you love is carrying an evil, poisonous monster inside of him or her.

From what we do know about cancer, it's at least exacerbated, if not completely caused, by environmental factors. And by environmental factors I mean lifestyle choices - alcohol, cigarettes, diet and exercise level - as well as pollution. According to Aaron Blair, chief of the Occupational Epidemiology branch of the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, most epidemiologists agree that cancer's cause is 80 to 90 percent environmental.

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Americans use more than 100,000 chemicals in
household cleaners, solvents, pesticides, food additives, lawn care,
and other products. Some of these are known carcinogens, but most haven't been tested for any cancer-causing effect. We, as a society, need to be more vigilant about asking questions of the substances we put in and near our bodies. Where do they come from? What are their long and short-term effects on our health? Do their benefits outweight their risks? I ask these questions every day, for my health and for those of the people I love.