Document X7ODe5w5mD434B0wOEwOzQ74d

FILE NAME: Newspaper & Magazine Articles (NMA) DATE: 1951 Apr DOC#: NMA125 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: LA Times - Environment Pictured as Cancer Cause Environment Pictured as C ancer Cause W ILLIAM S BARTON Los Angeles Times 1886-Current File); Apr 6. 1951; ProQuest Historical Newspapers Los Angeles Times ( IXXI - 1982) Environment Pictured as Cancer Cause Maryland Scientist Addresses Border Public Health Group BY W IIjTilAM S. BARTON Many types of cancer arej caused by a great variety of environmental factors, it was disclosed yesterday to 300 health officials at the United States-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 cancer has been neglected un til now. Few Causes Listed One reason for this neglect, he aid, 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 Tole of environmental agents In causing cancer in man." Charts Displayed The speaker displayed charts which indicate that continued exposure to benzene, soot, shale oil, tar oil, certain petroleum oils, arsenleals and asbestos dust can cause cancer. The can cers thus caused, he said, range from superficial skin cancer to cancels 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 table dislayed by the Maryland scientist lists such hobbies and home activities as gardening and painting as po tential causes. In gardening, too much close exposure to arsenicals and other chemical insecti cides are suspected in cancer o the skin and internal organs. Faints Suspected Use of paints and paint remov ers containing benzol, chrome pigments, asphalts and carbon b l a c k s , 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 deficiencies and lack of pro tein combine to 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 v a r i o u s Internal organs. Moreover, impure aniline dyes in lipsticks may produce cancer of the bladder. Parasitic infec tions, says the authority, m ay give rise to cancers of the blad-! der, liver and intestines. "It is e v i d e n t from these! charts," 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 pipes carries some danger. Time of Exposure "Environmental cancers a re 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 so long to develop that it exceeds a normal human lifetime." . Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.