Cancer and the Environment

The cure for cancer has been sought for many years.  However, before a cure can be found, the causes of the disease need to be determined. Due to the varied kinds of cancers that can occur there are many causes that can be considered. Scientists have looked at both biological and environmental factors. While the biological factors can include a variety of genetic factors, researchers are aware that our bodies are affected by an even greater variety of environmental factors. These factors can range from our diet and nutrition to the chemicals that are present around us, “The most significant risks of developing cancer come from lifestyle factors.” (Minnesota Department of Health, 2012). As more lifestyle factors are discovered, individuals can work towards making healthy choices in an effort to prevent cancer. As one example, tobacco is a leading cause of lung cancer and the obvious solution to reducing this risk is to quit smoking. However, both environmental and biological factors such as genetics or weak immune systems also need to be considered when determining risk factors for cancer. The environmental factors are not the sole predictor of who may or may not get cancer.

The evidence of environmental factors contributing to cancer can be found in research which the National Cancer Institute conducting regarding cancer rates in various countries. This research determined that cancer rates increased significantly for ethnic groups of people who were born in the United States versus those who were born in their native country. Although the shift from looking at genetic to environmental factors have been studied for many decades the research on specific forms of cancer has been limited. “Despite these gathering clues, though, few studies have investigated the effects of modern chemicals on women’s breast health” (Silent Springs, nd). There has also been very little information provided to individuals regarding the measures they can take to reduce cancer risks. Various states, such as Illinois and Michigan. have begun to disperse publications regarding the environmental causes of breast cancer in an effort to increase public awareness, instead of waiting for individuals to be diagnosed and need surgery. This should be increased on a national level which the National Cancer Institute has made efforts with their Understanding Cancer series.

The slides on Cancer and the Environment are informative and present the information in a way which could be understood by the average individual. The authors utilize pictures and diagrams effectively to illustrate the points. The site is easy to navigate between the slides and to get an overview of the topics that are discussed. The website provides additional information in the form of ways to contact the institute to gain further information. The website also appears to be devoted to just disseminating information regarding cancer rather than advertising or marketing as there are no advertisements on the site. The website also protects the privacy of the user by not requesting information from the user to review the slides. This allows anyone to access the information from their computer.

There are limitations of the site however as there is very little information about where the information was gathered and who is providing the information. The slides did not feature a reference list or cite any of their sources within the slides. There is also no mention of an author and it cannot be determined who wrote the slides from what is presented on the website. There are also no details about when the information was gathered making it difficult to determine whether the information is the most current that can be gathered. There is also a lack of additional information in the form of links that can be clicked to gather additional information that is not present in the slides. If the institute is able to resolve these issues the website and slides can be useful in spreading awareness to the general public regarding environmental factors and cancer. This could lead to a shift in the way in which cancer is analyzed and treated.

References

Minnesota Department of Health. (2012). Cancer in the environment. In Environmental Health Division. Retrieved February 26, 2013, from http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/hazardous/topics/cancerenvt.pdf

Silent Spring Institute. (n.d.). Breast cancer and the environment. In Silent Springs Institute Research. Retrieved February 26, 2013, from http://www.silentspring.org/breast-cancer-and-environment