Re: cancer rates (was: e: How do you calm down the hot-heads?)

From: Paul McDermott (bandwidthboy@optusnet.com.au)
Date: Sun Sep 14 2003 - 19:06:27 MDT

  • Next message: Emlyn O'regan: "RE: cancer rates (was: e: How do you calm down the hot-heads?)"

    Regarding cancer rates and exposure to toxins, I recently came across an
    article in Scientific American looking at the phenomenon of hormesis and
    how the developing understanding of it may play a role in better
    appreciating the body's ability to deal with toxins. There was a question
    raised in the article about how such research, admittedly ongoing, may
    influence public policy vis-a-vis environmental regulation, etc.

    I am wondering what others may think of such research and its prospects for
    both better understanding the processes by which we succumb to accrued
    damage of toxic exposure (resulting, I would suppose, in cancers of various
    kinds, amongst other conditions) and for formulating wise policy to guard
    against it where possible.

    I had originally learned of hormesis a while ago in a discussion of
    Rosalind Yallow's work on radiation exposure, in the book "I Wish I'd Made
    You Angry Earlier", and had long wondered what ongoing research had learned
    about it since then. I had intended to ask Peter Doherty for his view on
    such matters last Friday, but was feeling a bit blah and missed attending
    the function he was at.

    Here's the link to article:

    http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00019A70-0C1C-1F41-B0B980A841890000

    Paul McDermott

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