For those of us with ET, this bill is important because it goes some way toward more strictly regulating toxic substances and makes provisions for studying "cancer clusters." Cancer clusters are areas that have unusually high numbers of cancers that could be linked to an environmental cause.
Remember that the connection between chemical exposure and the genetic mutations associated with various types of ET are still poorly understood. Whatever helps researchers better understand that connection, if any, the more possible lines of prevention and treatment open up.
While Congress has been flamed in recent years by citizens and the press for doing nothing, the updated TSCA passed relatively quickly and received almost unanimous support from legislators on both sides of the aisle.
So, yay them!
A complete story about the bill is in the journal Science.
In other chemical news, MPN Advocacy & Education International featured the story of Wayne, a Vietnam veteran exposed to Agent Orange, who was diagnosed several years ago with ET. Like many other vets with ET and other MPNs, Wayne has been trying unsuccessfully to get the VA to recognize the connection between Agent Orange and ET.
MPN Advocacy & Education International says it is working to try to get the VA to put ET and other MPNs on its "presumptive" list of diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure. Currently two types of leukemia and multiple myeloma are on the presumptive list.
Finally Vice President Joe Biden is heading the National Cancer Moonshot. The initiative will involve several governmental agencies, focus on expediting proposed research projects, and establish data sharing of anonymous patient records to look for patters and clues to cures for cancers. More info is at the White House web site.
A less optimistic take on the Moonshot comes from a Jarle Breivik, a Norwegian doctor, who says that promoting healthier living and preparing for a future when more people are living with cancer would do as much good. Those of us with ET know that lifestyle changes can make a big difference in how we feel, regardless of where we are in the progress of our disease.
Be well! Stay informed!
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ET is a serious disease that requires specialist care. Discuss anything you read here with your doctor. No comments promoting "alternative" or "natural" cures (yes, this includes Rick Simpson's Oil) will be published.