Fifty chemicals the public are exposed to on a daily basis may trigger cancer when combined, according to new research.
A global taskforce of 174 scientists from leading research centres across 28 countries studied the link between mixtures of commonly encountered chemicals and the development of cancer. The study selected 85 chemicals not considered carcinogenic to humans and found 50 supported key cancer-related mechanisms at exposures found in the environment today.
Longstanding concerns about the combined and additive effects of everyday chemicals prompted the organisation Getting To Know Cancer led by Lowe Leroy from Halifax Nova Scotia, to put the team together – pitching what is known about mixtures against the full spectrum of cancer biology for the first time.
Cancer Biologist Dr Hemad Yasaei from Brunel University London contributed his knowledge regarding genes and molecular changes during cancer development. He said: “This research backs up the idea that chemicals not considered harmful by themselves are combining and accumulating in our bodies to trigger cancer and might lie behind the global cancer epidemic we are witnessing. We urgently need to focus more resources to research the effect of low dose exposure to mixtures of chemicals in the food we eat, air we breathe and water we drink.”
Professor Andrew Ward from the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Bath, who contributed in the area of cancer epigenetics and the environment, said: “A review on this scale, looking at environmental chemicals from the perspective of all the major hallmarks of cancer, is unprecedented”.
Professor Francis Martin from Lancaster University, who contributed to an examination of how such typical environmental exposures influence dysfunctional metabolism in cancer, endorsed this view.
He said: “Despite a rising incidence of many cancers, far too little research has been invested into examining the pivotal role of environmental causative agents. This worldwide team of researchers refocuses our attention on this under-researched area.”
In light of the compelling evidence the taskforce is calling for an increased emphasis on and support for research into low dose exposures to mixtures of environmental chemicals. Current research estimates chemicals could be responsible for as many as one in five cancers. With the human population routinely exposed to thousands of chemicals, the effects need to be better understood to reduce the incidence of cancer globally.
The Latest on: Cancer-causing chemical combinations
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Cancer-causing chemical combinations” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Cancer-causing chemical combinations
- Pancreatic cancer: Symptoms, causes and treatmenton May 9, 2024 at 5:00 am
“Within pancreatic tumours, there is a significant presence of cells called cancer-associated fibroblasts,” says Anguraj Sadanandam of The Institute of Cancer Research in London. “The build-up of ...
- Exposed to Agent Orange at U.S. bases, veterans face cancer without VA compensationon May 4, 2024 at 1:44 pm
The government this year acknowledged Agent Orange’s presence at 17 bases, but not others where evidence is mounting — including Fort Ord in California and, possibly, Chanute Air Force Base in ...
- Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange Are Battling Cancer Without VA Compensationon May 4, 2024 at 10:02 am
Vets exposed to the chemical at US bases are still waiting for the same benefits as their peers who fought in Vietnam.
- US bans most uses of a deadly chemical in paint thinnerson April 30, 2024 at 6:45 am
Methylene chloride can suffocate users in confined areas and cause liver, lung, breast, brain and other cancers.
- A New Weapon Against Cancer: Checkpoint Inhibitors, A Double-Edged Swordon April 29, 2024 at 6:59 am
Checkpoint inhibitors act as a double-edged sword against cancer. Although they promote potent ... [+] antitumor responses, they can also cause several ... bevy of immune chemicals, manifesting ...
- What Is Pancreatic Cancer?on April 22, 2024 at 5:42 am
Sometimes, acquired gene mutations occur due to exposure to cancer-causing chemicals (e.g., tobacco ... cancer before or after surgery or in combination with radiation therapy to improve treatment ...
- Graviola for Cancer: What We Knowon April 19, 2024 at 4:59 pm
But scientists don’t yet know whether it works as a treatment for cancer in humans. Graviola contains hundreds of chemicals called ... This may cause trouble if you already have low blood ...
- Side Effects of Herceptin: What You Need to Knowon April 14, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Herceptin (trastuzumab) is a prescription drug that’s used to treat certain types of breast cancer and stomach cancer. Herceptin can cause side ... drugs are made from chemicals.
- Biden's crackdown on forever chemicals: 'Historic' new rule will force utility companies to strip cancer-causing toxins from tap water - and HALF of American homes are affectedon April 10, 2024 at 4:50 am
The chemicals have been linked to an increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer, and damage to the ... tell the public when levels are too high. Combinations of some PFAS types will be limited ...
- Cancer-causing chemicals found in River Gipping in Suffolkon May 28, 2023 at 9:30 am
However, studies have linked the acid to kidney and testicular cancer ... individual chemicals, though little is known about how this profile changes when we are exposed to combinations of ...
via Bing News