Wendy Mesley struck a nerve with many Canadians with her recent CBC Marketplace documentary Chasing the Cancer Answer. She was asking questions such as "Why did I get breast cancer when I follow all the 7 steps of cancer prevention that the Canadian Cancer Society promotes?" These steps include not smoking, decreasing alcohol consumption, eat fruits and vegetables, exercise, stay out of the sun, get screened regularly, avoid cancer causing substances and get regular check ups with your doctor and dentist. It is implied that if you don't follow these steps that getting cancer is then your fault and cancer turns into a blaming game.

In Canada, 1 in 2.3 men and 1 in 2.6 women will develop cancer in their lifetime! This statistic is alarming and contrary to the belief that "they" are winning the war on cancer. "They" are not. Cancer rates amongst children have risen over 20% in 30 years and prostate cancer, non Hodgkin's lymphoma, thyroid and testicular cancers are all increasing and all have links to environmental contaminants.

Wendy decided to have her blood tested by Environmental Defence for PCB's, heavy metals, pesticides, flame-retardants, insecticides and other toxic chemicals. Robert Bateman, wildlife artist, recently had the same test; the cost is $1500 -$2000. Wendy was shocked to find that she had over 40 of the 88 chemicals tested, in dangerous levels. How were they getting into her body?

Dr. Sam Epstein, pathologist and author of Cancer-Gate: How to Win the Losing Cancer War, asked Wendy if she had ever taken the birth control pill (BCP). He says that the BCP is "the largest unregulated human trial that's ever been conducted". She was shocked to find out that the BCP is carcinogenic (contributing to cervical and breast cancer) and in the CPS compendium of drugs for Canada, it warns of stopping its usage after 8 years. She was never told that by her doctors.

Mae Burrows published Cancer Smart Consumer Guide, (to order call 604-669-1921) illustrating every day products that contain carcinogens allowed by the government in Canada that need to be avoided. Many of these same ingredients are not allowed in Europe and if they are, they are easily found on the label. Often the argument of the officials is that the amounts of ingredients in these products are so small as to be of negligible risk. However what they don't take into consideration is the cumulative effects of these carcinogens in many food and non-food items that contribute to "total body burden", wreaking havoc with the body's immune and detoxification systems.

Humans are also acting as live recycling depots. Human waste or sludge is used as fertilizer in the agriculture industry where pathogens are removed but harmful chemicals are not. Think about all those menopausal women or childbearing age women excreting estrogen by taking exogenous estrogens for birth control or menopause control. Those estrogens are then being sprayed, as fertilizer, on our vegetable fields and people wonder where they are getting these chemicals from. Not only from food additives and cleaning products but also from our fruits and vegetables!

Last month in Trent Hills Ontario, citizens banded together to fight for the stoppage of human sewage sludge being spread over fields near their homes. This sludge contains "dangerous chemicals and toxic heavy metals" that "can and do find their way into our water systems and food products." It also releases airborne particles that cause people within a 10 km radius "to suffer lingering and debilitating stomach-related illnesses as well as severe respiratory problems". The officials say that this method of fertilizing has been taking place in Canada for 40 years, but it is not well known that this sludge is not checked for chemical content, only pathogen content. With 14 million kg of carcinogens released into Canadian air, land and water every year why is it surprising that human sludge would be much more toxic now than it was 40 years ago?

In the next article, I will talk about what people like Wendy and the folks in Trent Hills can do about the chemical exposure and its detoxification from the body.

If you missed seeing Wendy Mesley's report on CBC, it is available on-line. Just click on Healthful Links on my website.