Electricity's role in cancer an eye opener

by Magda Havas

As many as 17,00 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in Canada and the rate (adjusted for age) is increasing by 1 per cent each year. Genetics-a family history of breast or ovarian cancer; life-style including diet and physical activity; environmental contaminants such as pesticides and electromagnetic fields have been linked to breast cancer.

Today the Women's Health Care Centre with financial support from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is hosting a conference at the Peterborough Holiday Inn on breast cancer called, Eyes Wide Open.

Participants include:

Dr. Sam Epstein, medical doctor with the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois Medical Center and an internationally recognized authority on the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, the causes and prevention of cancer and the toxic and carcinogen effects of environmental pollutants;

Elizabeth May, Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada and former Senior Policy Advisor to the Federal Minister of the Environment;

Dr. Alvin Pettle, a pioneer Canadian gynecologist who focuses on complementary medicine using natural remedies for women's health issues;

Lorna Wilson, a former Bell Canada employee, a member of the Breast Cancer Prevention Coalition and a cancer survivor;

Kathleen Cooper, a researcher for the Canadian Environmental Law Association and the author of The Citizen's Guide to Lead;

Irene Kock, a research consultant with the Sierra Club of Canada's Nuclear Campaign and the author of The Facts about Food Irradiation;

Bonnie Henderson, a Certified Health and Safety representative for Canadian Auto Workers Local 4451 and the chairperson of their Environmental Committee;

and finally, me, Magda Havas, Associate Professor at Trent University who does research on the biological effects of electromagnetic fields.

Attending the conference are environmental and public health experts, breast cancer survivors, social justice activists, and those interested in these issues.

While progress is being made, the rate of progress is alarmingly slow, especially for women who have experienced the horror of breast removal. Survival rates have increased but the incidence of breast cancer in western society is still on the rise.

Few people know that breast cancer occurs among men as well as women. The incidence of male breast cancer is low and accounts for less than 1 per cent of all breast cancer cases. It is rare below the age of forty and becomes increasingly common among older age groups.

Electromagnetic fields-the fields generated by electrical equipment, indoor wiring, and power lines-may increase the risk of breast cancer according to some epidemiological studies. Men in electrical occupations may experience an increased risk of two to six-fold which would account for a handful of new cases each year.

For women occupationally exposed to electromagnetic fields, the relative risk is much smaller (1.4 to 2-fold increase) but many more women are likely to be affected since the rate of breast cancer among women is so high.

Laboratory studies with rats have shown that electromagnetic fields commonly found in the home and workplace are not strong enough to initiate breast cancer. However, rats pretreated with a chemical carcinogen and then exposed to electromagnetic fields develop more breast tumors more quickly than those not exposed to these fields. These studies show that electromagnetic fields do not initiate cancer but can promote the growth of cancerous cells. Among the various forms of breast cancer, estrogen-responsive breast cancer appears to be particularly sensitive to electromagnetic fields. Tamoxifen, the anti-cancer drug used to retard the growth of cancer cells, becomes less effective when estrogen-sensitive cells are exposed to 12 milli Gauss magnetic field (milli Gauss measures the strength of the magnetic field and values of 12 or more are generated by transmission lines, computers, electric blankets, hair dryers, electric shavers, vacuum cleaners, fluorescent lights, power tools, and electric heaters). Individuals with a family history of cancer or those who are currently being or have recently been treated for cancer should be particularly concerned about these findings.

The planning committee for the Eyes Wide Open Conference hopes that this conference will create awareness and help our community to develop action plans for breast cancer risk reduction at home, in the workplace, and in the community.

While you might not be able to do much about your genes, you can improve your electromagnetic hygiene.

You can reduce your exposure to electromagnetic fields by moving away from the source. Since the field strength decreases rapidly with distance you can reduce your exposure, for example, by moving your chair 30 cm away from your computer monitor or by moving your clock radio from beside your head to the foot of your bed.

You can reduce your exposure by using electrical equipment for shorter periods, i.e. unplugging your electric blanket once your bed is warmed.

You can reduce your exposure by replacing electrical equipment (electric pencil sharpeners, blenders, can openers, blankets) with non-electrical items.

If old or improper wiring is the primary source of the electromagnetic fields in your home then you require the help of an electrician. If the source is from power lines there is little you can do to reduce your exposure other than moving away. Reducing electromagnetic fields under these circumstances becomes the responsibility of the Public Utility Commission.

Practicing electromagnetic hygiene makes sense from a preventative perspective and developing action plans for reducing the risk of breast cancer is one of the key goals of the Eyes Wide Open Conference.


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Last updated October 12, 2001