1. New Study Calls Out 17 Common Chemicals Linked to Breast Cancer
"’Every woman in America has been exposed to chemicals that may increase her risk of getting breast cancer. Unfortunately, the link between toxic chemicals and breast cancer has largely been ignored,’ Julia Brody, PhD, study author and Executive Director at Silent Spring Institute, said in a statement.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/05/12-2
2. Cancer-Causing Chemical in Shampoos Subject of Ground-Breaking Legal Agreement
“The Center for Environmental Health(CEH) announced […] it has reached first-ever legal agreements with 26 major companies to discontinue using the cancer-causing chemical cocamide DEAin shampoo and personal care products.”
http://ecowatch.com/2014/05/05/cancer-causing-chemical-in-shampoos-legal-agreement/
3. Triclosan and Triclocarban
From the Canadian Environmental Law Association: “Needless and Dangerous Antibacterial Chemicals That Should be Prohibited in Consumer Goods.
http://www.cela.ca/triclosan-and-triclocarban
See also: http://www.cleanproduction.org/resources/entry/chemicals-in-consumer-products-resource
4. How antioxidants can accelerate cancers, and why they don't protect against them
ScienceDaily website summary:
“Two cancer researchers have proposed why antioxidant supplements might not be working to reduce cancer development, and why they may actually do more harm than good. Their insights are based on recent advances in the understanding of the system in our cells that establishes a natural balance between oxidizing and anti-oxidizing compounds. These compounds are involved in so-called redox (reduction and oxidation) reactions essential to cellular chemistry.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140710094434.htm
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. (2014, July 10). How antioxidants can accelerate cancers, and why they don't protect against them. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 15, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140710094434.htm
5. Hormone-disrupting activity of fracking chemicals worse than initially found
ScienceDaily website summary:
“Many chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can disrupt not only the human body’s reproductive hormones but also the glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone receptors, which are necessary to maintain good health, a new study finds.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140623103939.htm
Endocrine Society. (2014, June 23). Hormone-disrupting activity of fracking chemicals worse than initially found. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 15, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140623103939.htm
6. From the ED: Breast Cancer Mammograms: Overrated—and Over-diagnosing Women
Karuna Jaggar, the executive director of Breast Cancer Action (San Francisco), writes the following—and more: “How will we ever hope to make desperately needed progress in the breast cancer epidemic when the mainstream breast cancer movement continues to push an outdated and scientifically debunked agenda?”
http://bcaction.org/2014/06/23/from-the-ed-breast-cancer-mammograms-overrated-and-over-diagnosing-women/
7. Virus kills triple negative breast cancer cells, tumor cells in mice
ScienceDaily website summary:
“A virus not known to cause disease kills triple-negative breast cancer cells and killed tumors grown from these cells in mice, according to researchers. Understanding how the virus kills cancer may lead to new treatments for breast cancer. "These results are significant, since tumor necrosis -- or death -- in response to therapy is also used as the measure of an effective chemotherapeutic," one researcher said.”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140624110716.htm
Penn State. (2014, June 24). Virus kills triple negative breast cancer cells, tumor cells in mice. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 15, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140624110716.htm
8. FOOD SHOULD BE FOOD!
The Environmental Working Group says: “Tell major brands, including Pillsbury, Sara Lee, Shoprite, Safeway, Smucker's, Fleischman's, Jimmy Dean, Kroger, Little Debbie, Tyson and Wonder, to stop using the plastics chemical azodicarbonamide in their products today!”
http://www.ewg.org/support-our-work/take-action/food-should-be-food
9. Cell Phones and Breast Cancer
Is there a link between cell phone placement and breast cancer?
Ennvironmental Health Trust provides pointers in “What you need to know”; #4 states that “Experts voice this precautionary advice: Women should not store their cell phones in their bra.”
http://ehtrust.org/cell-phones-and-breast-cancer/
10. Canadian Environmental Law Association Blog:
“Federal Government Has Head in the Sand on Fracking and the NPRI”
http://www.cela.ca/blog/2014-07-18/federal-government-has-head-in-sand-on-fracking-and-NPRI
11. Another silicone bracelet?
This one claims to measure toxic exposures
Guest Column on the cwhn.ca website, by Abby Lippman, challenges the status-quo in her article: “In brief, some clever researchers appear to be taking advantage of silicone's ability to absorb compounds to which it is exposed.”
http://www.cwhn.ca/en/node/46306
12. What the Reduction in Tonsillectomies Teaches Us about Medicine
Aaron E. Carroll, the author of this article, states: “Today you’d be hard pressed to find many normal children who have had their tonsils removed. That’s not because we cured tonsillitis in some way. It’s because, in large part, Jack Wennberg brought data to the fight.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/01/upshot/what-the-reduction-in-tonsillectomies-teaches-us-about-medicine.html?_r=3
13. Let's not be Clueless About Wireless
Devra Davis, founder of the Environmental Health Trust (www.ehtrust.org), writes: “Please read my open letter to President Obama requesting that we start with a comprehensive understanding of the biological effects of wireless technology before we cover our schools with wireless radiation.”
14. Is your country on the following list? “Several countries are taking precautionary action to minimize microwave exposures on children.” http://ehtrust.org/wireless-and-children-2/
15. Ingredient of the Month: Plastic
“Larry Pleasant is a writer, philosopher, part-time farmer and soap maker living and working in the Green Mountains of Vermont.” In this article, Larry tells us: “[…] here’s what’s up with plastics.”
http://www.greenenergytimes.net/2014/06/15/ingredient-of-the-month-3/
16. Three Book Reviews: Reading about Women's Experiences of Breast Cancer
http://www.cwhn.ca/en/networkmagazine/bookreviewsonexperiences
17. Angelina Jolie and the Problem of Neat Cancer Narratives
Interview by Emily Keeler (May 2013) published in Hazlitt:
“The day [Jolie’s New York Times essay] was published, I sat down with Alicia Louise Merchant to talk about Angelina Jolie and the frustrating narratives imposed on woman with breast cancer or high levels of breast cancer risk. Alicia is presently co-writing a book on youth and cancer […].”
http://www.randomhouse.ca/hazlitt/blog/angelina-jolie-and-problem-neat-cancer-narratives
18. (Not) Shopping our way to safety
Guest Column on the cwhn.ca website: Robyn Lee and Dayna Nadine Scott have written about “attempts to limit household exposure to BFRs and phthalates [which] require additional work that consistently and disproportionately falls to women.”
http://www.cwhn.ca/en/node/46308