Carcinogen News and Research

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Arsenic exposure impairs semen quality

Environmental exposure to arsenic significantly reduces semen quality in Chinese men, research shows.

18 Jul 2012

Indoor tanning beds banned for minors

Rhode Island took a great step today to protect youth from the dangers of skin cancer by prohibiting the use of indoor tanning beds by minors under the age of 18 without parental consent. This important action is based on significant scientific evidence that indoor tanning is undeniably linked to increased risk of developing melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.

27 Jun 2012

Spinach consumption can partially offset damaging effects of carcinogen

Researchers at Oregon State University for the first time have traced the actions of a known carcinogen in cooked meat to its complex biological effects on microRNA and cancer stem cells.

21 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: For Fla. small business owner, loss of health law would be 'real blow;' Effort to silence Mich. legislators backfires

Running a small business with four employees, I've got a lot hanging in the balance as the Supreme Court deliberates on the healthcare law. The legal challenge to the law was launched here in Florida with a small business lobby group as a plaintiff in the case. But if you're thinking that means small business people like me want to see the law rolled back, think again. The simple fact is, the healthcare law is saving our business serious money and saving our healthcare benefits.

20 Jun 2012

WHO agency classifies diesel exhaust as 'carcinogenic'

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the WHO's cancer arm, on Tuesday announced it has reclassified diesel engine exhaust from "probably carcinogenic" to "carcinogenic," the U.N. News Centre reports, noting the decision came "after a week-long meeting of international experts, and the agency based its decision on sufficient evidence that exposure is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer."

14 Jun 2012

Serum PFOA levels increase cardiovascular risk factors

Serum levels of perfluorooctanoic acid, which is found in Teflon and Gore-Tex, appear to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk, even at levels commonly found in the general population, Korean investigators have discovered.

13 Jun 2012

Betel quid popularity in Chinese prompts health warning

The use of betel quid, a mixture of betel leaf, areca nut, and slaked lime, is used by one in six adults in mainland China, a survey has found.

31 May 2012

Naphthalene exposure may increase risk of chromosomal aberrations in children

According to a new study, children exposed to high levels of the common air pollutant naphthalene are at increased risk for chromosomal aberrations (CAs), which have been previously associated with cancer. These include chromosomal translocations, a potentially more harmful and long-lasting subtype of CAs.

30 May 2012

Increased risk of breast cancer associated with working night shifts

Working night shifts more than twice a week is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, finds a long term study published online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

29 May 2012

Exposure to toxic flame-retardant chemicals may be higher in underserved children

Environmental health advocates responded to the new Duke University-led study of 83 North Carolina toddlers, published today in Environmental Health Perspectives, suggesting exposure to potentially toxic flame-retardant chemicals may be higher in non-white toddlers than in white toddlers.

24 May 2012

PTH boosts AMPs to fend off infection-causing microbes

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are molecules produced in the skin to fend off infection-causing microbes. Vitamin D has been credited with a role in their production and in the body's overall immune response, but scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say a hormone previously associated only with maintaining calcium homeostasis and bone health is also critical, boosting AMP expression when dietary vitamin D levels are inadequate.

24 May 2012

The truth about chocolate: does it really contain flavonoids?

There have been many news stories over the years about chocolate and whether it is good or bad for you. The stories often comment on a chemical constituent of chocolate: flavonoids. But what are flavonoids? Does chocolate even contain them? And why should we care if it does?

18 May 2012

More teenagers and young adults diagnosed with skin cancer

With summer just around the corner, pediatricians at Johns Hopkins Children's Center are sounding the alarm on a disturbing trend: A growing number of teenagers and young adults diagnosed with skin cancer.

8 May 2012

Aristolochic acid exposure leads to kidney failure and UUC

Aristolochic acid (AA), a component of a plant used in herbal remedies since ancient times, leads to kidney failure and upper urinary tract cancer (UUC) in individuals exposed to the toxin.

10 Apr 2012

Exposure to arsenic can turn normal stem cells into cancer stem cells

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered how exposure to arsenic can turn normal stem cells into cancer stem cells and spur tumor growth. Inorganic arsenic, which affects the drinking water of millions of people worldwide, has been previously shown to be a human carcinogen.

4 Apr 2012

Study identifies specific chemical in smokeless tobacco products that induces oral cancer

The chemical (S)-N'-nitrosonornicotine, or (S)-NNN, which is present in smokeless tobacco products, is a strong oral carcinogen, according to results presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012, held here March 31 - April 4.

2 Apr 2012

Victoria’s Goldfields region linked to higher risk of cancer

University of Melbourne's Dr Dora Pearce is urging for more testing of soil and water in central Victoria's Goldfields region to address the possible threat of cancer caused by arsenic. She has worked on research examining the link between elevated levels of arsenic caused by historic gold mining and cancer in the region.

25 Mar 2012

Air emissions near natural gas drilling sites may contribute to health problems

In a new study, researchers from the Colorado School of Public Health have shown that air pollution caused by hydraulic fracturing or fracking may contribute to acute and chronic health problems for those living near natural gas drilling sites.

19 Mar 2012

Exposure to MEHP shortens reproductive life of female mice

Female mouse fetuses exposed to very high doses of a common industrial chemical that makes plastics more pliable develop significant reproductive alterations and precancerous lesions as they grow up, according to a new toxicology study conducted at Brown University.

17 Mar 2012

IDS, AADA disappointed in postponement of vote by Idaho on indoor tanning bed legislation

The Idaho Dermatology Society (IDS) and the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) are disappointed in the postponement of the vote by the Idaho House of Representatives on House Bill 486, which would ban the use of indoor tanning beds by minors under the age of 18.

5 Mar 2012