04/04/2008
Campaigners have called on MEPs to tighten chemicals legislation in the wake of a new report warning that some substances could be linked to the rise in breast cancer. MEPs were told on Wednesday that the rise in new breast cancer cases across Europe cannot be attributed solely to factors such as genetic disposition or when in life women have children.

According to Professor Andreas Kortenkamp, head of toxicology at the University of London, there is strong evidence that the rise in breast cancer is linked to environmental influences, such as exposure to hormone-disruptive chemicals - including synthetically produced hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs. Launching a new report at the event in parliament, entitled 'Breast cancer and exposure to hormonally active chemicals', Kortenkamp said that "good laboratory and epidemiological evidence exists suggesting that man-made chemicals which mimic oestrogen contribute to breast cancer".

Kortenkamp’s report, commissioned by the health and environment alliance (HEAL) and the CHEM trust as part of an ongoing project, warns that the dominant view of breast cancer as a lifestyle and genetic disease needs a thorough reappraisal to include the role of environmental factors such as chemical exposure. In particular, the report highlights the link of breast cancer rates to the use of combination hormone-disruptive drugs, commonly used in HRT programmes, and growing scientific concerns about the "cocktail effect" of other chemicals with hormonal activity. "We will not be able to reduce the risk of breast cancer without addressing preventable causes, particularly exposure to chemicals," he added. Kortenkamp said his findings lent further credence to the fact that chemical exposure is playing a part in the increased incidence of breast cancer across Europe, which has doubled over the last 20 years. "There are other factors at play [other than late age at first birth and genetics]. The question is what the other factors are. "We must take cumulative exposure into consideration."

This view was backed by Avril Doyle, who hosted the event. "There is a widely held misconception that breast cancer is mainly a hereditary disease. This is a myth. In most cases, breast cancer is preventable." HEAL and the CHEM trust want MEPs to take action to limit exposure to a number of synthetic chemicals by addressing current legislation at EU level, in particular the REACH chemical safety legislation. They want the EU to ensure that several man-made hormone-disrupting chemicals are placed on the new European chemicals agency’s candidate/priority lists for replacement with safer alternatives.

Both NGOs would also like to see MEPs prioritising the issue of harmful chemicals in the upcoming second reading on pesticide reform and on the cosmetics directive. "We need to take on board new scientific research on breast cancer," said Doyle. "At a time when breast cancer is reaching epidemic proportions, the link between this disease and certain chemicals cannot be ignored."

Source: The Parlement.com