Document B8YZR21J3xLVzeJMvNK5kojJm

FILE NAME Newspaper & Magazine Articles NMA DATE 1951 Apr DOC NMA125 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION LA Times - Environment Pictured as Cancer Cause Environment Pictured as Cancer Cause WILLIAMS WILLIAMS BARTON Los Angeles Times Current File Apr 6 1951 ProQuest Historical Newspapers Los Angeles Times 1881-1985 1881-1985 pg 15 1881-1985 Environment Pictured as Cancer Cause Maryland Scientist Addresses Border Public Health Group BY WILLIAM 8. BARTON are Many types of cancer caused by a great variety of environmental factors it was disclosed yesterday to 300 health officials at the United Mexico Border Public Health Association's meeting in the Alaxandria Dr. W. C. Hueper of the Na tional Cancer Institute Bethes da Md declared that the study of the environment as a cause of til cancer ' now has been neglected un- Few Causes Listed One reason for this neglect he said is that investigators have been bewitched by relatively fruitless attempts to pin down the cause of cancer to heredity old age chronic irritation and specific infectious agents A few of the many environ- mental cancer causes listed in clude climate exposure to cer tain chemicals fumes additives to foods and even certain medi- cal preparations and cosmetics Because the national au- thority asserted long periods preceding the manifestation of environmental cancers may sep arate the original exposure and the illness by 5 to 40 years these studies are difficult But there is now a rapidly growing mass of indisputable evidence about the significant role of environmental agents in causing cancer in man Charts Displayed The which speaker displayed charts indicate that continued exposure to benzene soot shale oil tar oil certain petroleum oils arsenicals and asbestos dust can cause cancer The can- cers thus caused he said range from superficial skin cancer to cancers of the bladder lungs and nasal passages Cancer of the bones accord ing to the chart can be caused by prolonged exposure to radio- active chemicals Also cancer of the skin may follow overdoses of X rays ultraviolet radiation and sunlight A separate the Maryland hobbies and table dislayed by scientist lists such home activities as gardening and painting as po tential causes In gardening too much close exposure to arseni- cals and other chemical Insecti cides are suspected in cancer the skin and internal organs of Paints Suspected Use of paints and paint remov ers containing benzol chrome pigments asphalts and carbon blacks it was reported may cause leukemia and lung malig- nancies Iodine deficiencies in food may cause cancer of the thyroid And Vitamin B com- plex tein deficiencies combine to and lack of pro- cause cancer of the liver Heated mineral oil as a fat sub- stitute in baked foods is suspect ed as a potential cause of cancer in various internal organs Moreover impure aniline dyes in lipsticks may produce cancer of the bladder Parasitic infec- tions says the authority give rise to cancers of the der liver and intestines may blad i It is charts evident from these Dr. Hueper declared that environmental causes of cancer are important to all re- gions The mining and smelt- ing of arsenic containing silver and copper ores are cancer haz ards Even the use of coal tar paints for coating some danger pipes carries Time of Exposure Environmental cancers are essentially preventable diseases diseases deserving the serious attention of public health agen- cies throughout the world Control depends upon an ef- fective decrease in the time of exposure to cancer producing agents If time of exposure is decreased it may take the cancer long to develop that it exceeds a normal human lifetime , Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner Further reproduction prohibited without permission