US panel criticized for over stating Cancer risks in a report

May 7th, 2010 - 7:17 pm ICT by Aishwarya Bhatt  

cancer1 New York, May 7 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Cancer Society of the US has sharply criticized a dire government report on cancer risks, as they believe that the report overstates its claim. The report that was published online on Thursday, said the proportion of cancer cases caused by environmental factors has been grossly underestimated. The report also reported evidence that linked environmental exposure to cancer. The American Cancer Society however estimates that only 6% of all cancers in the US, are caused by the environmental pollution annually.

However the American Cancer Society said the report was “unbalanced by its implication that pollution is the major cause of cancer”. They also said the report had presented an unproven theory that environmentally caused cancers were grossly underestimated. The American Cancer society believes the major cause of cancer around 30% is due to smoking. They also believe that lifestyles like poor nutrition, obesity and lack of regular body exercises increase the risk of cancer than environmental pollution.

“The report is most provocative when it restates hypotheses as if they were established facts. For example, its conclusion that ‘the true burden of environmentally (pollution) induced cancer has been grossly underestimated’ does not represent scientific consensus. Rather, it reflects one side of a scientific debate that has continued for almost 30 years,” according to Dr. Michael Thun.

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