Feminist Peace Network

Finally, at long last the connection between chemicals and breast cancer has been firmly established.    Maria Cone writes in the Los Angeles Times,

“More than 200 chemicals - many found in urban air and everyday consumer products - cause breast cancer in animal tests, according to a compilation of scientific reports published today.”

A report published by the American Cancer Society found that,

“(B)ecause the disease is so common and the chemicals so widespread, “the public health impacts of reducing exposures would be profound even if the true relative risks are modest. If even a small percentage is due to preventable environmental factors, modifying these factors would spare thousands of women.â€?

While there has been every reason to  believe such a connection existed, organizations that exert heavy influence on cancer research funding, such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Association have doggedly continued to emphasize personal factors and finding a cure rather than looking for the causes.  There is no surprise in this when you look at the sources of their funding, which includes many companies that produce toxic chemicals.  However with this new report, it will be far more difficult to ignore chemical causes and Komen today pledged an additional $5 million for research into environmental factors.

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