Position statement on cancer and the environment

DR CARL ALBRECHT

HEAD:RESEARCHCALBREC@IAFRICA.COM

Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA)

4th June 2008

THE WAR AGAINST CANCER

•We are about half-way in the war against cancer. •It could last another 50 years•The biggest problems are:•Lack of specific therapy•Cancer spread throughout the body•Lack of insight into the causes of breast and prostate cancers•Behavioural change

• STATISTICS:• 12.3 million new cases in 2007• 7.65 million deaths in 2007• 4.65 million survivors• 37% survival world-wide• About 100 000 new cases p.a. in South Africa• About 60 000 deaths p.a. in South Africa• 40% survival• Survival in U.S. is now 65%

About 21 000 people die of cancer every day

Worldwide more people die of cancer than of AIDS, TB and malaria combined.

In South Africa 6 die of AIDS for every 1 cancer death

More than 90% of cancers are caused by environmental factors. This is very good news because it means that the vast majority of cancers can be prevented

ROLE OF CANSA AGAINST CANCER

• Vaccination hepatitis New drug development Patient care• Pap smears Survivor care•Health promotion• Focus on Environmental molecules

CAUSES OF CANCER

According to Doll*

Tobacco29-31%Diet 20-50%Infections 10-20%UV light (melanoma) 5-7%Occupation 2-4%Pollution 1-5%Physical inactivity 1-2%

* Sir Richard Doll

CANSA’s view

Tobacco29-31%Diet 15%Infections 10-20%UV light (melanoma) 5-7%Occupation 2-4%Pollution 10-20%Physical inactivity 1-2%

WHAT IS MEANT BY POLLUTION?

Many pollutants can end up in drinking water

CANSA TARGET LIST

1.Trans fats2.Bisphenol A3.Acrylamide4.Plasticizers5.Dioxin6.Cadmium7.Uranium8.Smoke9.Drinking water

LCMS analytical apparatus at the University of Stellenbosch

TRANS FATTY ACIDS

• Made inadvertently

•Man-made during conversion of vegetable oil to margarine by industrial hydrogenation.

•CIS-bond converted to a TRANS-bond

•Proven relationship with coronary heart disease

•Association with breast cancer

•Association with prostate cancer

•Contribute more to body weight than unsaturated fats.

CIS

TRANSSATURATED

WORLD REACTION TO TRANS FATS

•Banned in Denmark since 2003

•Contents of food displayed on label since January 1st 2006 in U.S.

• Not present in UNILEVER margarines such as FLORA, RAMA and STORK and SPAR margarine.

•WOOLWORTHS does nor sell food containing partially hydrogenated plant oils.

•South African legislation written, published last year but not made law yet. Please !!!

CANSA will have all margarines tested independently for trans fat contents and this information will be posted on the CANSA website.

BISPHENOL A

On 18 th April 2008 Canadian Government bans polycarbonate baby bottles because one of the ingredients –Bisphenol A- is declared toxic and 55-times more is released from bottles into hot water vs cold water.Bisphenol A (BPA) is man-made and has hormonal activity similar to estrogen but is used extensively to make polycarbonate and epoxy resins.BPA disturbs biological processes at very low concentrations. As little as 2 micrograms in a kilogram, i.e. 2 ppb. It is linked to breast cancer.Nevertheless FDA and EPA in U.S. continue to peg the so-called safe level 25-fold higher e.g. 50 micrograms/kg body weight per day

Could Bisphenol A be causing breast cancer?

WORLD REACTION TO BISPHENOL A

“We know a women’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is directly linked to her lifetime exposure to estrogen – both natural and synthetic estrogen. It’s outrageous that manufacturers of some baby bottles are exposing little girls to BPA, a synthetic plasticizer that mimics estrogen, and possibly increasing that little girl’s risk of breast cancer later in life, especially when safe alternatives are available.”Janet Nudelman, Director, Program and Policy for the Breast Cancer Fund.

BPA alone is “worth at least a million dollars every hour”.

•University of Missouri Wade Welshons, in “Tackling Plastics’ Toxic Health Threat”, DISCOVER, May 2008, pg 51

“If I were a pregnant woman, I would try hard to avoid exposure to BPA”

•Randy Jirtle, Duke University geneticist (DISCOVER, May, 2008, pg 50).

•.

PLASTICIZERS

Man-made chemicals used to make hard plastic softer and more sticky.Chemicals known as DEHP and DEHA.Used to make “cling wrap” from PVC.Used to wrap articles including food.Found to migrate from the plastic into fatty food like cheese and meat especially at high temperatures in the microwave oven.Found to cause cancer in mice and ratsFound to interact with master genes in living cells e.g. affecting the brainMajor man-made contaminant in ground water

6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00 26.00 28.00 30.00 32.00

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

450000

500000

550000

600000

650000

700000

750000

800000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: CA_Plastic_15.D\data.ms

CANSA analysis of cling wraps

6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00 18.00 20.00 22.00 24.00 26.00 28.00 30.00 32.00

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

450000

500000

550000

600000

650000

700000

750000

800000

Time-->

Abundance

TIC: CA_Plastic_15.D\data.ms

CANSA RECOGNISES GLAD WRAP – WHO IS DOING IT RIGHT?

ACRYLAMIDE

Man-made chemical formed spontaneously in carbohydrate food at high temperature, especially potato crisps and coffee

Considered to be a probable human carcinogen

Strongly associated with renal cancers

Associated with post-menopausal endometrial and ovarian cancer

NeurotoxicThe big public question is whether the amount of acrylamide in foods is enough to lead to cancer?

DIOXIN

Some of the most toxic chemicals known. Formed during the burninh of PVC and bleaching of paper fibres.Group 1 carcinogen according to IARCFat soluble. Take 8 years for 50% to exit body.Causes mutations.Teratogen.Recently used as a poison against President Viktor Yushchenko of the Ukraine.

He suffered from a form of persistent acne known as chloracne

CADMIUM & URANIUM

By-products of gold mining on the Westrand in Gauteng

Waterways of the Wonderboomspruit Catchment contaminated

About 400 000 people living in this area down to Carltonville

CANSA asked to investigate possible cancer hazzard

Cadmium is a wellknown cumulative carcinogen

Uranium, if taken up, is bound in the skeleton where it can form osteosarcomas over long periods

SMOKE

Smoke contains PAHs (Poly-aromatic-hydrocarbons)

Some such as benz[a]pyrene are extremely carcinogenic and cause lung cancers

Benz[a]pyrenes are also found in wood smoke, coal smoke and cars exhaust fumes

Millions of South Africans are exposed to one or more of these forms of smoke and the cancer threat still needs to be ascertained

Smoke should be avoided at all times

ASBESTOS

Exposure can cause mesothelioma

There are abandoned asbestos mines

Asbestos has been used in building materials that are now getting old

CANSA needs to ascertain the extent of asbestos threats in South Africa today

DRINKING WATER

Dozens of chemicals may be found in water that are carcinogens

Modern technology makes it possible to detect and measure the quantity of these chemicals.

CANSA will outsource the testing of drinking water from 8 cities in South Africa.

The water will come from buildings in which CANSA is housed.

Results will be posted periodically on the CANSA website.

CANSA HOPES THAT THIS NEW INITIATIVE WILL HELP TO REDUCE THE BURDEN OF CANCER in SOUTH AFRICA