1: Uncertainty in Science
2: Disease Patterns
3: Human Health & Chemicals
4: Late Lessons

 

Commentary:
 According to the American Cancer Society, only 5% or 10% of cancers are hereditary. All other cancers result from damage to genes that occur during a person's lifetime.

The next lesson presents the overwhelming evidence we currently have of chemicals and their impact on human health. The question becomes, "how much evidence do we need to act upon it?"
 

Module 1, Lesson 2: Disease Patterns

Disease Patterns

 

Disease or Disability

Period

Incidence

Cancer
Cancers
Lifetime
1 in 2 for men;
1 in 3 for women 1

Overall Childhood Cancers 1
Ages 0-14

1975-2001
33%

 

Acute Lymphocytic leukemia: Ages 0-14

1975-2001

53%
Brain and other central nervous system tumors : Ages 0-14
1975-2001
63%

Testicular -Now the most common cancer among young men age 15 to 35

1973-1996

41.5%
Breast- Now the most common cancer in women
1973-1996

25.3%

In 1970: lifetime risk was 1 in 10 women
In 2001: lifetime risk was 1 in 7 women or 13.4%1
For Women-- thyroid, bladder, kidney cancer and melanoma2
1975-2001
For Women --lung, colon, cervix, pancreas, ovary, and oral cavity cancer2
 
Prostate- Now the most common cancer in U.S. men
1973-1992

Doubled risk in a generation
For men--kidney, esophagus cancer and melanoma 2
1975-2001
For men --lung, colon, pancreas, oral cavity, larynx, leukemia, and stomach2
 
Developmental Problems

 

 

Autism

mid 1980s-1999

1 in 250 3

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder  
3-6% of all school children3

Learning Disabilities

 

affects 5-10% in public schools3

Reproductive Problems

 
Endometriosis
affects 10-15% of all women of reproductive age4

Infertility

 

cases reported up4

Hypospadias (birth defect of the penis) in U.S.
1970-1993
doubled to 1 in every 125 male babies
Asthma
2001-2002
more than 20 million in U.S., including 6.1 million children5

As you will note from the chart, it is not easy to give a snapshot of disease patterns due to the way we report and categorize findings.

For this lesson, statistical compilation in the above chart was taken from BodyBurden-The Pollution in People report unless otherwise noted.

1 The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program.

2 The "Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2001" National Cancer Institute. Note the optimistic headline of the press release.

3 Autism Society of America - Autism Facts. So little was understood about autism in the recent past it is not conclusive yet whether the 10-fold increase of autism cases is indicative of an increase in incidence rates from the 1980s. It is estimated that a total of 17% of U.S. children suffer from one of more developmental disabilities. As we track the numbers over the next decade, we will know more about incidence patterns.

4 The Collaborative on Health and the Environment. Studies have shown rises in cases reported of infertility and other reproductive-associated dysfunctions and disease. However, as autism, understanding of some of these conditions have dramatically improved just over the last decade. Also, people's willingness to now report and discuss problems concerning infertility and reproductive health is increasing.

5 American Lung Association. Asthma was once considered rare.