4 simple steps to reduce cancer risk The link between chemicals
and cancer is greater than previously thought, according to a
recent 200-page report from the President’s Cancer Panel. Many
questions remain, but the report provides simple steps you can
take now to reduce your risk: - Eat organic food grown without
pesticides or chemical fertilizers and meat from free-range
animals that aren’t given growth hormones. - Microwave food and
drinks in glass or ceramic containers, not plastic ones. -
Filter water and put it in BPA- or phthalate-free containers. -
Ask your doctor about the necessity of any medical scan, which
could expose you to radiation. In addition to consumer tips, the
report calls on Uncle Sam to reduce our exposure to cancer-
causing chemicals. With nearly 80,000 unregulated or
understudied chemicals on the market in the U.S., it’s about
time, says Maryann Donovan, the director of the Center for
Environmental Oncology at University of Pittsburgh Cancer
Institute. “It’s a call to action to regulat