| In the movie "Erin Brochovich", Julie Roberts plays | | | | because of their career, and this trend may |
| the leading lady who finger pointed at the | | | | affect their hormone balance. Having children |
| industries for having illegally dumped hazardous | | | | earlier may decrease breast cancer risk, while |
| waste, leading to a cancer cluster in the | | | | delaying childbirth may increase the risk. Other |
| neighborhood. | | | | factors, such as obesity, diet and lifestyle, also |
| So, what is a cancer cluster? And how does it | | | | play a critical role in the incidence of breast |
| affect your health? | | | | cancer. Therefore, to pin down the cause of |
| A cancer cluster is the repeated occurrence of a | | | | breast cancer to a specific agent is almost |
| particular type of cancer in a specific community | | | | impossible. For this reason, common cancers, such |
| or neighborhood. Because of its health hazards, a | | | | as breast cancer, do not fall into a cancer cluster. |
| cancer cluster requires medical intervention and | | | | Indeed, given that each type of cancer has its |
| investigation to determine the causes of the | | | | unique causes and risk factors, only the frequent |
| outbreaks of cancer. | | | | causes of the same type of cancer, which does |
| Cancer occurrence may be due to the pollution of | | | | not occur frequently elsewhere, can be counted |
| the air, the underground water, the toxic waste | | | | towards a cluster and compared against |
| dumps, and the power lines, among others. | | | | background rates. |
| If repeated outbreaks have occurred in a specific | | | | There are approximately over one million cases of |
| neighborhood or at workplace, then there should | | | | cancer diagnosed each year in the United States. |
| be concern from the authorities about the | | | | So, to prove or to investigate into the possibility |
| formation of a cancer cluster. | | | | of a cancer cluster, there must be many cases |
| For example, in shipyards, due to the greater | | | | of similar type of cancer outbreak in a specific |
| exposure to asbestos, shipbuilders are more | | | | geographic area. In addition, this type of cancer |
| prone to lung cancer; or in factories where there | | | | must be uncommon, or at least apparently less |
| is greater exposure to vinyl chloride, workers | | | | frequent elsewhere. Furthermore, there must be |
| have higher risk of liver cancer. These work | | | | an evident source of environmental pollution as |
| environments are grounds for cancer clusters. | | | | the cancer agent. |
| Although there have been many cancer cluster | | | | That said, it is still difficult to prove the formation |
| investigations, very few of them have produced | | | | of a cancer cluster, simply because of the power |
| tangible results, that is, a definitive connection of a | | | | of the establishment to stop it, as portrayed in |
| cancer outbreak with a certain chemical or toxic | | | | the movie "Erin Brochovich." |
| material. In addition, given that cancer may take | | | | The moral of the story is this: Be vigilant of the |
| many years to develop in an individual, proving the | | | | environment - the place you live in, the place your |
| cause and effect of cancer due to an external | | | | work at, and the chemicals or toxic substances |
| factor is extremely difficult, if not impossible. | | | | you may be directly or indirectly exposed to. |
| To illustrate, breast cancer has increased | | | | Prevention is better than cure. Beware of the |
| significantly in recent years. This drastic increase | | | | health hazards, whether it is a cancer cluster or |
| may be attributed to several factors. Nowadays, | | | | not is irrelevant. |
| many women tend to bear children later in life | | | | |