New Initiative to Screen the Exposure to Environmental Carcinogens
A recent investigation of an ACS (American Cancer Society) research collaborator subcommittee regarding cancer and the environment stated that the exposing of oneself to carcinogens must be diminished as much as possible and even stopped in the cases where it might be possible. Moreover, the cancer and environment subcommittee states that there is an urgent need to develop new ways to screen a higher number of chemical agents that affect the environment and, implicitly, the people. This strategy of monitoring and analyzing should be developed in the most effective and efficient matter as possible.
This environmental report is just a part of the process of taking care of the continuous and newly discovered problems regarding the pollutant agents of the environment and cancer. Moreover, the scope of the report is to shed more light on the principles, mission, values, objectives and various roles of the American Cancer Society on issues such as those mentioned before: pollution and malignant tumors prevention.
As the co-chair of the subcommittee and chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine within the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, medical doctor Jonathan Samet explains the problems regarding the environmental pollution agents affecting the air, water, food and thus, customer products represent issues on general public care and high unknowns. He also adds that their report aims to put the pollution agents of the environment in a greater relationship with preventing malignant tumors. The relationship focuses on reducing the smoking habit of the population, improving nutritional behavior, increasing the physical activities, maintaining a proper body weight and come up with vaccines that counteract the infections which may cause cancers.
The other co-chair of the subcommittee is also volunteer president of the American Cancer Society. Her name is Elizabeth “Terry” T.H. Fontham and she stated that the exposure levels of the population to chemical and pollution agents affecting the environment are much lower than the levels linked to the showed predisposition to developing malignant tumors in the jobs people have and other daily settings. However, the concern raised by the low exposure levels has to do with the fact that the number and types of pollution substances are increasing and may prove in the future to get out of the population`s control. In addition, the problems related to the fact that even low exposure levels bring some contribution to the cancer developing cases cause more reasons for distress considering the high number of persons who are daily exposed to the environmental pollutants.
The subcommittee`s report states that the scientific problems related to the exposure of people to the environmental pollutants represent complex issues just like increase in the number of landscape technologies which are utilized to analyze the chemical carcinogenicity. In spite of the capability of the nowadays tools used to identify and categorize proves for carcinogenicity, the subcommittee`s article states that there exist three main problems which constrain them from using them because there is a limited quantity of resources which are allotted to function those specific systems and from a scientific point of view, the environmental problems are complex and uncertain.
The report`s concerns about cancer vary and are related to malignant tumors prevention. There is a high need for new stratagems related to the tests done to evaluate the environment`s toxicity, comprising also the evaluation of carcinogenicity. These new strategies could be incorporated in such a manner as to assure a more efficient and effective screening process of a higher number of chemical agents which affect people daily. In addition, exposure to occupational and community settings should be regulated by some standards. The subcommittee draws attention on the need to support investigations aimed at identifying and decreasing the number of hazards provoked by carcinogens. Furthermore, the institutions that determine and implement standards for the environment must meet proper financing and appropriate technology in order to be near the scientific evolution and upgrade their set standards according to the new available data.
Even though some exposure cannot be avoided, this type of exposure must be somehow diminished and even stopped in the cases where it is possible to do so. In addition, the population must receive information about these matters in order to know their health status and risk of cancer or other diseases. Last, but not least, the media communication must make people aware of the situation of the exposure in an accurate manner and not to exaggerate or diminish the importance and level of environmental pollution factors.
The subcommittee’s report states that in order to create and implement this new initiative in order to assure the acquiring of more knowledge regarding the association between the levels of exposure to environmental pollution agents and the predisposition to various types of cancers, the American Cancer Society is going to further develop its long-run commitment to preventing malignant tumors. In addition, the American Cancer Society is also keen on studying these problems more thorough in order to discover new ways in which the initiative could bring more benefits in an effective and efficient manner.
