pf_02889 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

SEP-11-1997 15:54 MN DEPT HEALTH MCSS 6126235~q9 P.02/05 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS CANCER CONCERNS This fact sheet contains answers to questions that are commonly asked by Minnesotans concern- ing cancer risks, causes, frequencies, and clusters. The American Cancer Society has excellent lit- erature on specific cancers and is a good source of further information. They can be reached at ( 1- 800-227 -2345). #Q: There seem to be aJot of people in my neighborhood getting cancer. Is this unusual? A: What you are seeing in your neighborhood is probably not unusual. Unfortunately, cancer is much more common than most of us realize. Current information shows that among Minnesotans roughly half of us will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. At one time, most peo- ple died from heart disease, infectious diseases, or injuries. As we have made progress against these other problems, more people are living long enough to develop cancer. #Q: Isn't there a lot more cancer now than years ago? A: Yes and No. Some cancers such as lung cancer in women and men have increased dramatically (due to increased smoking rates). Other cancers such as cervical cancer have decreased dramati- cally (due to effective screening programs). More people are living long enough to get cancer so we do see more people with cancer than decades ago. However if one looks at overall cancer rates that take into account the change in the age of the population we see little increase in overall can- cer rates over the past two decades. #Q: What causes cancer? A: It is important to realize that cancer is not one disease but many diseases with many different causes. From what we know today, by far most of our cancer risk comes from smoking, diet. alco- hol use, occupations. sunburns, certain kinds of infections, medications and medical treatments, and for women--their age when their first child was born and how many children they had. Family history (genetics) also plays a very important role. #Q: What about the environment? Isn't that the biggest cause of cancer? A: Levels of contaminantc; in the environment are typically much lower than those levels that have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Strict regulations set food and water standards at a very safe level. Large studies of environmental pollutants have NOT shown that most of our cancer risk comes from the environment. That does not mean we should not be concerned about the cleanliness of the environment. Even small risks should be taken very seriously and in addi- tion environmental hazards cause health risks other than cancer. #Q: Can a study be done in my neighborhood to be sure there is nothing in the environment caus- ing cancer?