Nov 30, 2007 6:27 pm US/Eastern
Doctor Offers 10 Tips To Reduce Cancer Risk
(KDKA)
While the causes of many types of cancer are not exactly known, more science is pointing toward things within our environment.
One local researcher is weighing in on 10 ways to reduce your risk of getting cancer.
Dr. Devra Davis is the director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
She's spent the last 20 years studying how things around us can cause cancer, and has released a new book, "The Secret History of the War on Cancer."
Here are some of her tips:
1. Don't consume food or drinks with Aspartame, a low calorie sweetener.
Davis says new research from Europe shows baby animals exposed to aspartame developed an increased risk for many cancers as they got older.
According to the website for Equal, a sweetener with aspartame, more than 200 objective studies have been performed on the product and it was determined to be safe.
But Davis says there is no test on long-term use in humans because aspartame hasn't been around long enough.
2. Use a headset or speaker when talking on your cell phone.
Dr. Davis says if the phone warms your ear that means the signal is getting into your head.
She adds that the signal may or may not increase your risk of cancer, but there is no test on prolonged use.
3. Babies and children are the most vulnerable because their bodies have much more time to accumulate carcinogens and for cancers to grow.
She says not to put anything on your baby's skin that can't be eaten.
According to Dr. Davis, the materials that are included in "No More Tears" shampoo are banned in several countries because they can cause cancer in animals.
Iris Grossman, a spokeswoman for Johnson and Johnson's "No More Tears" shampoo, says the process to make soaps gentle may create one-four dioxane, which is a probable human carcinogen, according to the EPA.
Grossman says it creates trace ingredients in extremely small numbers, but nothing that's harmful or of concern.
4. Don't microwave anything in plastic.
She says the CDC has found higher levels of certain plastic-making agents in the blood of children and young women than they are of adults, and no one knows exactly why.
5. Use natural cleaning products like vinegar, baking soda, lemon and Borax. Also, don't use synthetic room deodorizers, some of which are banned in Europe.
"Those spritzing deodorants for the room that smell are often made of the same chemicals that come out of coke ovens," she said.
Here are five other ways Dr. Davis says you can reduce your risk of getting cancer:
- Buy food from local farmers and with fewer pesticides
- Use x-rays and other radiation sparingly, and only in life-threatening emergencies with children
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