Mistaken worries about cancer risks

In Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film “Dr. Strangelove,” Sterling Hayden played an insane general determined to trigger a nuclear war. (Peter Sellers had three roles, including the nefarious doctor.) Back then, the only thing people were more frightened of than a nuclear exchange was cancer, and cancer phobia was widespread. Then Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking environmental expose, “Silent Spring,” reinforced that fear, declaring that we were “living in a sea of carcinogens.”

We’ve since learned to effectively treat and even cure many cancers, and people today are more comfortable talking about a diagnosis. But you may still worry that there’s not much you can do about the cancer-causing carcinogens that flow in and around your everyday life. Recently, U.K. researchers surveyed 1,330 people and found that more than 40 percent thought some of the biggest cancer-causing culprits were food additives, electromagnetic frequencies (cellphones), genetically modified food and drinking from plastic bottles.

But that’s not the case: The study, published in the European Journal of Cancer, identifies the most significant cancer risks: smoking, being overweight and overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and sunbeds. Fortunately, you can control your risks by avoiding smoke, eating healthfully, exercising regularly, applying zinc oxide daily and never, ever using a tanning bed.

After that, reduce other risks by:

– Avoiding receipts (common source of BPA or BPS) and washing hands after touching them.

– Not using shampoos, fragrances or cosmetics containing phthalates, such as dibutyl phthalate/DBP, dimethyl phthalate/DMP and diethyl phthalate/DEP. – Thoroughly cleaning the Dirty Dozen (get the list at www.ewg.org) pesticide-residue-containing veggies and fruits, or go organic to get your seven to nine daily servings.