MEP Avril Doyle hosted “Breast Cancer: Preventing the Preventable”

Visit the event photo gallery.

The scientific evidence linking breast cancer to certain man-made chemicals was presented on Wednesday, 2 April 2008 by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and CHEM Trust, UK.

MEP Avril Doyle, European People’s Party (PPE) hosted the lunchtime event “Breast cancer – Preventing the preventable” in the European Parliament. The event was attended by the Members of European Parliament (MEPs), including MEPs Against Cancer (MAC) and the European Parliamentary Group on Breast Cancer (EPGBC), as well as representatives from the European Commission – Directorate General Environment and from Europa Donna, the European breast cancer coalition.

Professor Andreas Kortenkamp, who heads the Centre for Toxicology at the School of Pharmacy, University of London, presented the compelling science summarised in the new report entitled “Breast cancer and exposure to hormonally active chemicals: An appraisal of the scientific evidence”. His scientific review focuses on the role of hormone disrupting chemicals, with particular reference to early life and multiple chemical exposures.

Presentation of the science at the meeting involved two other prominent European experts:

• Doctor Annie J. Sasco, Team Leader, Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention, Bordeaux University, France;
  
• Doctor Nicolas Olea, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Spain.

Following discussion of the science, Lisette van Vliet (for HEAL and CHEM Trust) gave a brief talk on policy routes to address the contribution of chemicals to the breast cancer incidence rate, with discussion.

Breast cancer and chemicals – Possible political actions to “prevent the preventable”:

• Council and Parliament resolutions on Cancer - In April, in their resolutions on combating cancer, Parliament and Council have an opportunity to take account of the latest evidence on links between cancer and exposure to certain chemicals. If these resolutions refer directly to evidence that reducing exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals (and known carcinogens) will help prevent cancer, Parliament and Council will send a political signal for desirable EU actions to address this issue.
  

• REACH – Putting hormone disrupting chemicals on the ‘candidate’ list and thereafter on the ‘priority’ working list. Having hormone-disrupting chemicals on the candidate list will encourage industry to search for safer alternatives and to de-select the use of chemicals on the candidate list in advance of the European Chemicals Agency starting any authorization procedure. This would be good for public health, and for industry. Placing hormone disrupting chemicals onto the priority list will be an important test of REACH’s capacity to respond quickly to public health concerns related to the ‘equivalent concern’ category of chemicals.
  

• PESTICIDES - Regulation for the placing of plant protection products on the market - Since the Commission proposal was issued, new scientific evidence points to the links between the cancer epidemic and human exposure to pesticides through food and air. MEPs can keep the strong European Parliamentary amendments on the so-called “cut-off criteria” for Carcinogen, Mutagen & Reproductive Toxicity (CMR) and hormone disrupting pesticides. MEPs can also ensure that the cut off criteria make specific reference to eliminating exposure to pesticide residues in food products.

During this event HEAL and CHEM Trust also presented other new publications and materials summarising the key information on all risk factors and breast cancer with particular focus on the potential role of certain chemicals in the environment. These publications, which are available for downloading in several languages, include:

• “Factors influencing the risk of breast cancer – established and emerging” (a briefing for the public)
• “Breast Cancer: Preventing the preventable” (a leaflet). Both publications are designed for the general public and breast cancer survivors.

Finally, a “Breast cancer portfolio” of peer-reviewed and published papers was presented. The portfolio brings together the scientific evidence for chemical exposures playing a role in breast cancer.

The event achieved wide media coverage including Euronews and Belgium television, German public radio, Le Monde in France, The Guardian in the UK and an EFE news agency story in Spanish. For more background information on the event and publications (downloading), please you can visit:

• Chemicals Health Monitor website - Diseases and chemicals – Breast cancer or
• CHEM Trust website

Materials:

 Invitation announcement:

 Press release:

 Breast cancer figures: Female breast cancer incidence per 100000 (EU 27)

BC incidence per 100.000 females

 Prague Declaration

 “Breast cancer and exposure to hormonally active chemicals: An appraisal of the scientific evidence” (Briefing)

 “Factors influencing the risk of breast cancer – established and emerging” (Briefing)

 “Breast Cancer: Preventing the preventable” (Leaflet)

 “Breast cancer portfolio”

Visit HEAL and CHEM Trust websites

HEAL’s Chemicals Health Monitor website has a section dedicated to the link between ill-health and chemicals – sub-section “Breast cancer”.

CHEM Trust website – section “Diseases” – Breast cancer