October is breast cancer awareness month. It’s an important time for women and the public to consider the extent of this deadly disease, how we can support the development of cures, and the need for prevention.
Ladies, be sure to get your mammograms and pay attention to any worrisome changes in your own body. IWF has been directly impacted by this terrible disease and our heart goes out to all suffers and their families.
Americans are the most generous people in the world, and each year give away hundreds of billions of dollars to help myriad causes, including the fight against breast cancer. As a new report suggests, however, some of the groups that claim to be dedicated to fighting against this devastating disease sometimes fall prey to political correctness and junk science.
The American Council on Science and Health just released a report that warns that some nonprofit groups promote the notion that exposure to chemicals causes breast cancer, in spite of a dearth of scientific data to support this claim. As the report details:
Some groups seeking donations…choose to focus excessively on one particular variable – environmental chemical exposure – that medical research does not count among the known causes of breast cancer, or any other type of cancer for that matter. Some examples of chemicals targeted by these activists include:
- plastic chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates parabens found in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals
- rBGH (or rBST) hormones found in dairy products
- PCBs
- DDT and DDE
Medical research has only reached the tip of the iceberg when it comes to breast cancer causation, but scientists have established time and again that environmental exposures to these chemicals are not risk factors for breast cancer. By alleging otherwise, these “breast cancer” organizations distract potential donors and divert their donations away from research into the true causes of breast cancer. Accordingly, these groups attempt to exploit fear of breast cancer as a pulpit to promote an ulterior goal – an anti-chemical campaign – and ultimately take advantage of people who are already frightened for their lives.
I’ve written before against the Left’s counterproductive war against chemicals. This report contains important information for those considering donating to the fight against breast cancer. After all, we want to help a cure to the disease, not advance a political-driven fight against chemicals.