February 21, 2006
Kamloops Daily News

Journalists are a naturally curious bunch, so it's not
surprising that the host of CBC's Marketplace would want to
find out why she got cancer.

Wendy Mesley thought she had done everything right, so why
her? She had eaten healthy foods and exercised. Like most
who have been diagnosed with cancer, her first inclination
was to look for what she had done wrong. Marketplace
recently carried the results of her investigation.

Many Canadians are getting the message from the Canadian
Cancer Society; don't smoke, eat your veggies, exercise,
stay out of the sun, get screened regularly, visit your
doctor and dentist regularly. And it's working to reduce
some forms of cancer caused by unhealthy lifestyle and diet.

But if you've done everything right, why would you still get
cancer? It turns out that some cancer is beyond your
control.

And if you get cancer, it's not that unusual. The chances
of getting cancer are one out of two. The next time you are
in a room full of people, imagine one-half of them with
cancer. Or if you dare, imagine it were you. The impact
would be devastating but the statistics are rather ordinary.

Although some cancers are decreasing, many are on the rise
including prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, thyroid
and testicular cancer. Childhood cancer is up 25 per cent
in the last 30 years.

The cancer establishment implies that if you get cancer,
it's your fault - - if you had only followed their
guideline, you'd be OK. They also warn that you should
avoid cancer-causing substances, but hat's impossible. As
Mesley found out, we are surrounded by cancer-causing
substances.

How can we possibly avoid the 14 million kilograms of
potential carcinogens that are released into our environment
every year? Cancer organizations might as well suggest that
we stop breathing, drinking, and eating.

Our bodies are full of chemicals, as Mesley found out. She
was tested for 57 chemicals and 44 were found. "I had my
blood tested; the results show I'm full of carcinogens."

Manufacturers of food and consumer products are quick to
point out that there is no proven link between chemicals and
cancer, and that's true. That's understandable when you
consider that no researcher in their right mind would give
test subjects chemicals to determine if they resulted in
cancer? Not only would such a test be ethically impossible
to conduct but it could take decades for the effects to show
up.

We are all unwitting subjects in such a study. Decades
from now, survivors of this chemical barrage we call our
environment will marvel at our ignorance, like we do when we
see old commercials that promote cigarette smoking as a
healthy activity.

"I don't think my blood tests will uncover the reason that I
got cancer. I don't think that it's that simple," says
Mesley.

Mesley is not alone. Each of us has pollutants in our
blood. A recent study analyzing the blood and urine of
Canadians found varying levels of contamination from heavy
metals, pesticides and other toxic chemicals (such as PCBs,
mercury, lead).

These contaminants are either known or suspected
carcinogens. Other chemicals may cause reproductive
disorders, harm the development of children, disrupt hormone
systems or they are associated with respiratory illnesses.

Unlike Europe, Canadian manufacturers are not required to
list all chemicals in foods and products such as detergents,
although that will change in November when all chemicals
must be listed on the label. Accurate labels won't help
much unless you are prepared carry a chemical reference book
so you can look up the potential dangers.

"But I have been accumulating toxins, probably since I was
born - maybe even before. And the levels of these keep going
up. At some point, we should start to do something about
them. Maybe that time is now," concludes Mesley.

Marketplace is just one of many CBC programs worth watching
but thousands of Kamloopsians no longer receive them. The
local broadcaster, CFJC, no longer transmits CBC. Canada is
defined by the stories we tell each other and CBC tells
those stories best.

Those who no longer receive CBC could pay for it though
cable TV, if they could afford it. But why should they pay
twice for the public broadcaster - - once though taxes and
once through cable fees?

Many small B.C. communities, like Smithers, have CBC TV
transmitters. Why not Kamloops?


David Charbonneau is the owner of Trio Technical.
He can be reached at dcharbonneau13@shaw.ca

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