I am reading this book right now about the rise in cancer and it's relationship to our environment.
One of the promary reasons that we moved out of our other house was the overwhelming amount
of cancer that was showing up in our neighborhood. It may sound crazy to an outsider, but there
were 4 people with cancer within 1 block of our house. That's not counting the 4 dogs in our
neighborhood that all died of cancer at young ages. We decided the numbers don't lie and moved.
I don't know if there was something in the water, in the soil, or in the air but books like this really
open my eyes to the possibility that our environment plays a large part in the rise in cancer!
Here is a review of the book:
In this "scientific narrative" on the environmental causes of cancer, biologist Steingraber weaves a
compelling story that blends personal experience (her friend Jeannie died of a rare cancer of the
spinal cord; she herself is a victim of bladder cancer), with a passion for scientific detail. She examines
cancer registry data, the rise of the West's petrochemical-based economy, and the effects of substances
such as DDT, dioxins, and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals on human health and ecosystems.
Steingraber uses data and stories from her native state of Illinois to illustrate the overuse of incineration
as a treatment technology for the "reduction" of hazardous waste and the misuse and misapplication of
pesticides. She asks "why so much silence still surrounds questions about cancer's connection to the
environment, and why so much scientific inquiry into this issue is still considered preliminary."
This question is critical to Steingraber's argument; at least 60 different occupations have elevated
death rates from cancer. While not easy reading, her work is a powerful addition to the literature on
cancer's relationship to environmental exposure. Strongly recommended.
