Breast cancer threats found in your house If you're reading this at home, you're exposing yourself to the risk of breast cancer. And now you're asking yourself this question: Am I just trying to get your attention, or am I serious? Let me put it this way: I wish I were just trying to get your attention. According to new research, butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) - a common chemical that's found in practically all plastic products used in your house - has been found to be an endocrine disruptor, which mimics the effects of hormones. And yes, that's as bad as it sounds. Endocrine disruptors have been implicated in reduced sperm counts and neurological problems in humans. Research has found that BBP caused accelerated breast development and genetic changes in newborn female lab rats - which could predispose them to breast cancer later in life. The fact that this is preliminary research doesn't make it any less disturbing. As I said, BBP is used in just about everything that has plastic in it: plastic pipes, vinyl floor tiles, carpet backing, lipstick…you name it. And the research suggests that the lifetime effects of BBP on mammary glands can be incredibly harmful. The study concluded that, "To prevent breast cancer in adulthood, it is necessary to protect both the newborn child and the mother from exposure to this compound." I would make a joke here about having to live your whole life in a plastic bubble … except that the plastic in the bubble can kill you. It doesn't take a genius to make a correlation between the rise in plastic use since the beginning of the 20th century, and the rise in the number of cases of breast cancer. Initial reactions to this study from the mainstream medical community are tepid. A doctor of environmental medicine at Yale responded by saying that other studies have failed to link BBP and cancer, and that "this study doesn't add specific information on breast cancer and environmental interactions." Well for some reason, I don't feel comforted by that opinion. As I've been telling you for some time, there is ABSOLUTELY an environmental element to cancer risk. In a previous Daily Dose, I actually shot down a popular urban myth about the supposed link between another very common chemical found in garden hoses, dolls, shoes, and plastic wrap - di-2-ethyl(hexyl)phathlate (or simply "DEHP"). They're saying it's a big time carcinogen-and it is … but only when it's ingested in staggeringly high amounts. You'd need to eat an entire hamburger patty's worth of the stuff EVERY DAY to even be slightly at risk for cancer. BBP is a different story. The fact that it interacts with hormones makes is a huge cause for alarm. Mutated hormones are at the root of many cancers, and in spite of what the high-and-mighty ones at Yale are saying, I find the latest info on BBP unnerving and compelling. Anything with the power to alter your genetic code is extremely dangerous to the public health - not to mention yours and mine. I'm not the only one who believes the BBP-cancer link. In October, California adopted a law to ban trace amounts of BBP in the manufacture of toys and baby products such as teething rings. (Did you just shudder to think about the potential hazards of this stuff in baby toys? I know I did.) It's a laudable first step. But where do we go from there? If further studies reveal that this research is accurate, and the BBP link is real, can you imagine the massive, wholesale changes that would need to be made at nearly every level of our society (here's a start: building codes, food service, clothing manufacture … should I go on?) in order to decrease or eliminate exposure to such a ubiquitous substance? But the chemicals aren't the only dangers we face in the fight against cancer… If you're smart, choosing a doctor is a decision that you don't take lightly. You ask for recommendations. You talk to friends. You check backgrounds. But in the end, your health and your life could really be in the hands of the one doctor who you don't choose and will probably never even meet: your radiologist. This is especially true, as it turns out, for women going for their mammograms. According to new research, the accuracy of those mammogram readings can vary WIDELY. (Another strike against an already dangerous test.) The research discovered inconsistencies even when a lump was present, leaving women open to false positive results or even missed diagnoses. The team of researchers from Group Health, a non-profit health maintenance organization, found that the ability to accurately detect cancer varied from 27 percent to 100 percent amongst the 123 radiologists studied. On average, 21 percent of breast cancers were missed entirely and 4.3 percent of women underwent a needless biopsy. Those are frightening and deadly figures. For a killer such as breast cancer to be so poorly diagnosed, you have to wonder how many women were doomed by this level of neglect and ineptitude. Here's another frightening figure: There will be an estimated 178,000 new cases of breast cancer, and 40,000 deaths caused by this scourge. It just reinforces the sad reality that in today's healthcare system, you can't trust anyone. It's not enough for you to stay on top of routine check-ups-you need to check out the doctors that are checking you out. | 
