Getting the oral microbiome right

Last year I posted a link to a video about the importance of dental care - see here - it seems our oral microbiome is increasingly been seen as a key element in our health. Anyone interested in this could do well to listen to this podcast with Dr Victoria Sampson (pictured) - nearly 800,000 views in the last two weeks since it's been out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3fSwd1cF08&t=118s 

A friend has recently seen Victoria Sampson and shared how useful the test of her oral microbiome was - sadly at £350 a pop it is likely to be out of reach of many but it is exciting to see this field develop. In the video Victoria shares what you can do to look after your teeth and much more. 

We have known for a while about the importance of the microbiome and cancer - here's a paper from 2019 that looks at the health of the microbiome and how that impacts on prostate cancer. Consideration of the oral microbiome is newer - who knew we even had one of those?!! 

Research is at a very early stage but here's a paper from 2020 saying: "Several meta-analyses have confirmed the suspicion that periodontal disease should be considered as a risk factor in several types of cancers. In fact in a meta-analysis by Corbella et al., they found that a statistically significant association was found for all cancers studied, both combined and individually (digestive tract, pancreatic, prostate, breast, corpus uteri, lung, hematological, esophageal/oropharyngeal and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma)."

One study from 2022 looking at pancreatic cancer notes: "In summary, poor oral health, oral microbial dysbiosis and the development and progression of PC are interlinked. However, the underlying mechanisms of the oral microbiota’s influence in PC diagnosis and treatment have yet to be elucidated. Thus, these data beg for further research, particularly as it relates to mechanisms, human diversity and the implementation of precision medicine."

Sea Moss, Iodine and more

So last year I read ‘The Iodine Crisis: What You Don't know About Iodine Can Wreck Your Life’ by Lynne Farrow. It wasn’t a wonderfully written book but it did reintroduce me to the fact that many of us maybe not getting enough iodine. The book for example notes that rates of iodine consumption have dropped 50% since the 1970s.

The book goes onto suggest a possible causal link that “decreased iodine consumption corresponds with the dramatic rise in breast cancer, prostate cancer and thyroid disease.” It also has a huge number of personal ‘iodine stories’ about the wonders of iodine; this maybe useful to some but I am always a little wary of lists of personal stories, preferring more the research - having said that the book also covers some of the research.

Back in early 2019 I had a urine Iodine test with Genova that showed 15 ug/L (0.12 umol/L). This was considered very low by some nutritionists who say that less than 20 is severe deficiency. However there are disagreements among scientists about what are correct levels. Indeed in Japan it has been shown that they may well be having 100 times higher rates of iodine in their diet than the West!

Back in 2019, as I noted in this blog, I did supplement with Lugol’s solution; this has the two types of iodine that the body uses and it was used with people around Chernobyl after the disaster.

When I re-tested the iodine in 2020 I was just over normal levels so stopped supplementation and used occasional seaweed flakes - more of that in a mo. Certainly all practitioners say you need to test to check iodine levels before supplementing. Interestingly following radiation treatment a hair analysis (a technique that some dismiss as inaccurate or even bogus) in December 2021 showed low levels again of iodine. I don’t seem to have got to grips with how much to take and would in retrospect have considered increasing iodine intake during and after radiation.

In that earlier 2019 blog I quoted a doctor, Michael B. Schachter, saying, “Iodine may be needed in individualized doses to improve thyroid function, immune function, and the optimal functioning of all the cells in the body; several associated nutrients need to be given including vitamin C, selenium, magnesium, unrefined salt, and sufficient water; these help to prevent strong detoxification reactions as a result of the release of bromine from the tissues when iodine is given in milligram quantities. These higher milligram doses rather than microgram doses help to enhance anti-cancer functions in most if not all cancers, but certainly in cancers of the thyroid, breast, ovary, and prostate.”

Iodine kills cancer cells

The Canceractive website notes: “Research studies show that iodine can kill cancer cells and cancer stem cells, improve the oxygenation of cells, improve metabolic function and enhance the immune system in its search for rogue and pre-cancer cells. 88% of people have been shown to be seriously deficient in iodine on cancer diagnosis. Having good iodine levels can reduce pathogen levels, and lower the risk of anaemia. Importantly, it can upregulate an inactive p53 gene so that it causes cancer cell death. Iodine deficiency is known to cause pre-cancerous fibrocystic disease, which can lead to breast cancer. Iodine supplementation can maintain breast health. Prostate cancer and colorectal cancer patients have also clear and recorded benefits from the supplementation of iodine”. Read more including references to research in Canceractive’s January 2024 article: https://www.canceractive.com/article/iodine-and-cancer

Thyroid disease is associated with an increased prostate cancer risk. A healthy prostate will have a concentration of Iodine according to a Canadian study; it was found that there were 29% less prostate cases in the group with high iodine, when compared with those men with low iodine. While other research has shown that prostate cancer cells take up iodine easily and it can cause apoptosis. Yay!

Of course this research needs to be repeated before we can be more certain but it indicates to me that we should be taking the issue of our iodine intake more seriously.

Why iodine depletion?

There is a short chapter in Lynne Farrow’s book looking at the role of the iodine-blocking element bromine and how it has ‘purged iodine from our bodies’. Bromine is found in pesticides, fire retardants, plastic packaging, drugs, some baked products and soft drinks. Bromides are also now added to flour; whereas iodine was added to bread prior to the 1980s.

Fluoridation and chlorine both displace iodine in the body – so our water supplies can deplete levels along with toothpaste, mouthwash and more. Lastly soil depletion’s meant lower levels of iodine and we also now consume less iodine-rich foods like prawns, sea fish, eggs and iodised salt.

What to take?

Well it seems to me that we must test before supplementation with iodine using for example Lugol’s or Nascent Iodine - also of course check with your Oncology team. 

The other option is seaweed. One of the challenges is to get pure and heavy metal free seaweeds that don’t come from near Fukushima. Some Sea Kelp does come in tablet form but again I would be wary of over-dosing. I use Dulse and other seaweed flakes - adding them to stews, soups and more. However after revisiting this topic I will try to use it a bit more often!

Sea Moss

This seaweed is sometimes referred to as Irish Moss although several websites distinguish between the two. The Irish is more rare and allegedly has similar but slightly more health benefits. 

Sea Moss, according to conversations I’ve had here in Gloucestershire, seems to have been used in African Caribbean communities in relation to cancer; it is found along the rocky coasts of the Caribbean and has been used there in traditional medicine for centuries. It is an edible red seaweed and it is said can have 92 out of the 102 vitamins and minerals the body needs to function! It is said Sea Moss is packed with cancer-fighting nutrients, including antioxidants, fucoxanthin, polyphenols, and others. One of those nutrients is iodine and this may well also explain it’s benefit.

Organic Nature’s blog summarises the research re prostate cancer: “Sea moss and other seaweeds are excellent for men's health. They're a rich source of zinc, an essential mineral for the prostate to function correctly. Besides, sea moss's natural anti-inflammatory properties participate in reducing inflammation of the prostate. Ultimately, by improving male prostate health and function, sea moss may help reduce the occurrence of prostate cancers in men. Current investigation about the anti-prostate cancer properties of marine-derived compounds confirms that “marine species are unique and have great potential for the discovery of anti-cancer drugs.’”

A friend of mine in Stroud recently gave me a pot of her homemade Sea Moss - it is gloopy and some find that hard to eat - here’s a recipe if you want to try yourself: https://jamaicaherbal.com/blogs/herbal-secrets/sea-moss-benefits-rid-the-body-of-mucus-and-supply-essential-nutrients

As a final point on Sea Moss and seaweeds it is important to say research is very limited and iodine levels vary widely so it is hard too assess what might be a safe ‘dose’ - and clearly would not be safe for some people like those with hypothyroidism. Get advice!

Carrageenan concerns

Carrageenan is derived from red algae or seaweeds and is widely used in the food industry - however it is surrounded by controversy. There are many who consider that it is itself a health risk and indeed I personally make a point of avoiding it in foods. One example is that it is often in non-dairy milks - check out Plenish as they don’t use it and only keep to as few ingredients as possible.

I mention Carrageenan here as it is often confused with Sea Moss but they are not the same. Check out this blog that explains why: https://www.organicsnature.co/blogs/news/carrageenan-in-sea-moss-safety

Read more here re Carrageenan: https://draxe.com/nutrition/what-is-carrageenan/

Here’s Dr Gregor on seaweed and treats cancer: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/which-seaweed-is-most-protective-against-breast-cancer/

Phew another blog that became much longer than intended! To finish here’s a 4minute film from ten years ago looking at this issue with Dr David Brownstein, author of “Iodine: Why You Need It. Why You Can't Live Without It” which is now in it’s fifth edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Y800-xEXU

Mark Lintern and his inspiring look into cancer

In my last post I mentioned Mark Lintern - I've also written about him here and how his research could be the breakthrough cancer researchers have been waiting for....my original post has links to 6 hours of Yes to Life radio shows that are very worth listening to. 

However for those wanting just an hour you can get a flavour in a podcast with 'biohacker' Dave Asprey. Dave writes of the podcast: "Today's episode focuses on Cancer with a true expert, Mark Lintern. You'll learn about the surprising links between infections, inflammation, and our body's powerhouses - the mitochondria. This is a chance to arm yourself with cutting-edge theories that could change the way we treat cancer. Simple changes in treatment perspectives might be the key to unlocking new ways to tackle cancer and by the end of this episode, you'll have a fresh arsenal of knowledge to rethink cancer's causes and solutions. This is an eye-opening discussion that promises to transform the way we approach this formidable disease." 

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPJbAJL8srk&t=1s

A critical look at New German Medicine and 'cause' of cancer

Paul Leendertse

I have read a little about the New German Medicine (NGM) approach to cancer - I hugely welcome the way it looks at cancer not as an arbitrary illness but rather a biologically meaningful response to emotional shocks. I love that it looks at the mind body connection and it's possible role in cancer. However quite a bit of it hasn't sat right with me.

There are various sources online for folks to explore NGM - here's one whole book that I was sent to review: https://madeongaia.is/signup_files/GNM-Disease-Clarity.pdf In this they look at the work of Dr Hamer, the originator of NGM, and at particular cancers and causes; prostate cancer, for example, one of the suggestions is that it maybe due to a 'procreation conflict' when the man is unable to father children!

Another book I reviewed before it went to final publication with a number of changes last year was 'Terminal Cancer is a Misdiagnosis' by Danny Carroll. Again this is based on the work of Dr Hamer with some 50,000 patients. As some will know he was given a 19 month prison sentence in Germany for the 'illegal practice of medicine' - this was despite supporters noting that his 'medical research findings' showed an 85% survival rate with his patients who refused conventional medical treatments.

Just this week I was pointed to a webinar where Paul Leenderertse from the Root Cause Institute looks critically at NGM and also shares his own work - he writes: "The Root Cause is a psycho-emotional stress complex, effecting the physical body, which needs to be identified and resolved to heal." I like his approach - he says the 'tumour is there for a reason' - 'it's not just stress it's the suppression of emotions' - 'it's blocking us from spiritual growth, we're getting stuck in it and if we are not growing and learning we're dying'. For me there is clearly a role for emotions but suspect it is more than just that.

Interestingly Paul also notes a role of fungus - something that Mark Lintern's theory considers may play a part in cancer. This is not something new but has been around on the fringes of cancer research - the evidence from Mark is certainly compelling.

See what you think about Paul Leendertse's views...'A Loving Correction to NGM' webinar that lasts some 2 hours and 40 mins: https://www.rootcauseinstitute.com/path-player?courseid=gnm-webinar&unit=6512bb108a5c306ee3067be6Unit

'Little we can do to prevent prostate cancer'

Cartoon by Russ

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for the UK, in this video (see 39.42) says 'for example prostate cancer, there really isn't very much you can do to prevent it but you can identify the aggressive forms earlier.' 

This was a 'Distinguished Lecture Series' talk out two weeks ago looking at 'Health in an ageing society'. It is certainly true that unlike some cancers (eg breast and cervical), research into how to prevent prostate cancer remains poor. However we do know that there is strong evidence that being overweight increases the risk of being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. There is also growing evidence of other factors.

Whitty mentioned healthy lifestyles earlier in the talk but seems to ignore their role in prostate cancer? Cancer Research UK say 'Prostate cancer is not linked to any preventable causes. Your risk of developing it depends on many things. These include age and ethnicity.' Other factors they note are family history, faulty genes, obesity, being taller, hormone levels and pesticides.

It seems to me that some of the factors they identify are preventable and will reduce chances of getting cancer - indeed even the World Health Organisation note that 30-50% of all cancers are preventable. What we need is more concerted efforts to improve lifestyle factors like diet and exercise. We already know that even 20 mins of exercise a day can prevent the return of some localised prostate cancers.

Prostate cancers like many others are on the rise - indeed cancer rates have doubled in the last thirty years in the UK. Some cancers, for example, some child cancers, have more than trebled.

It is long overdue time to take this issue more seriously. Clearly one factor alone does not cause all cancers - it is way more complicated but we do know that many things do increase or may increase the risk of cancers. We urgently need more information available for people. Just for starters there is more than enough expert research to attach ’Precautionary labels’ to Phones, Masts, WiFi, certain chemicals, pesticides, many drugs, HRT, the contraceptive pill, and even dairy. 

Nutrition is another key area - I like this approach from the Alliance for Natural Health - see here. See also Canceractive's 15 simple steps to cancer prevention here. 

It seems to me we could do with a manifesto for cancer prevention - checking online I found Cancer Research UK had issued one this year - see here. Sadly it seems to be more of the same from them with, as far as I can see, no mention of exercise or nutrition, no mention of cutting chemicals, ultra-processed foods etc etc. 

Locally I still sit on the Cancer Patient Reference Group for NHS Glos that meets monthly or bi-monthly - we are making slow progress on introducing more info to patients re lifestyle changes they can make - plus some basic support with prehab and rehab exercise, nutrition and mental health support. This of course is to those already diagnosed - wouldn't it be great if we could reach people before they got cancer - of course we wouldn't stop all cancers but I think we could stop and turn back the ever increasing rates of cancer which will mean that soon one in two people will get cancer.

Of course this blog post shouldn't be read without reading my post from September about banning the word 'prevention'. See that here: https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2023/09/time-to-ban-word-prevention.html

‘Could this be the day the World changes (for people with cancer)’

The title of this blog post was by health author, Jerome Burne, taken from his blog on the Yes to Life website (i). The title makes a big big claim - but I think it really could be one of those moments in history. On 12th February, at a specially put together Yes to Life online forum with three panels of cancer experts (Scientists, Clinicians and Patient Experts) and an invited audience of some 200  cancer specialists, a new way of thinking about cancer was proposed.

Mark Lintern presented his findings that have resulted from eight years of intensive research into the origin and mechanisms of cancer. He had been hugely frustrated by the lack of understanding he encountered when dealing with his own and a friends cancer. It drove him to explore more - in what has been described as a ‘Herculean’ effort, he has come up with findings that could lead to an enduring change in the direction of cancer care, to potentially prevent cancers and to lead to groundbreaking new treatments.

In another blog by Jerome, 'Revealing the Dark Matter of Cancer’, he sets out to share the approach and how it came about. It is very worth a read: https://healthinsightuk.org/2023/04/12/revealing-the-dark-matter-of-cancer/

Cancer is widely regarded as a genetic disease. Mark, like many of us who have looked at the causes of cancer, couldn’t understand how changes to DNA were supposedly random and just the result of bad luck. Indeed these are the very words my oncologist used when I was diagnosed. It just didn’t sit right. One of the problems is that there are around 1,000 genes that can become cancerous when mutated, and it typically takes at least two different mutations within these cells for cancer to grow. That means there are a million potential mutation pairs, and it becomes hopeless to narrow down the possibilities when seeking new treatments.

There are other theories of cancer but the one that many integrative health professionals seem to favour (at least until now), is the metabolic theory. This approach looks at the abnormal energy use of cancer cells.  See a good description of the metabolic theory at: https://foundationformetaboliccancertherapies.com/metabolic-cancer-therapies and Prof Thomas Siegfried talking about this approach: https://youtu.be/APwnkpD_BfI

New paradigm

Mark looked at all this and info that seems to have been overlooked from other medical fields and he suggests that cancer can be caused by multiple factors that can trigger the infectious process of an opportunistic pathogen. There is effectively a battle between the pathogen, the cell and the immune system. A victorious immune system can remove the tumour. 

One of the ways of assessing new theories about cancer is how many of the so-called hallmarks of cancer – the changes a cancer makes to a cell – the theory can explain. This new pathogen theory comes out top. It can account for 9 out of the ten, more than both the genetic or metabolic approaches. Of course, Mark is now keen to see his theories tested, but already the reception from this first meeting to these ideas has been very positive.

Find out more

Mark Lintern shares his story of 8 years’ research into the mechanisms and origin of cancer in 6 Health Radio shows with Robin Daly, Chair and Founder of Yes to Life: 

https://yestolife.org.uk/radio_shows/through-another-lens-part-1/

Cancer Through Another Lens - Professional pre-release version

https://www.yestolifeshop.org/product-page/cancer-through-another-lens-professional-pre-release-version

Update 29.09.23: I liked this article as an additional perspective on cancer: https://www.anhinternational.org/news/opinion-cancer-as-a-survival-and-healing-mechanism/

Note

(i) https://yestolife.org.uk/could-this-be-the-day-the-world-changed/

BPA; what are the issues?

In 2018 it was reported that since the 1970s more than 78,000 chemicals have been approved for commercial use. Only 1,000 have been formally examined and considered for their carcinogenic potential - and of those the World Health Organisation consider 120 as ‘known’ carcinogens, 81 as probable carcinogens and 299 as possible carcinogens (i). See my previous blog at: https://myunexpectedguide.blogspot.com/2022/01/a-look-at-environmental-toxins.html

One of those chemicals which has been widely used is Bisphenol A (BPA) and it has been linked to cancer. It is a synthetic chemical used since the 1950s in making millions of plastics items including food packaging. By 2008 it was found in 93% of Americans urine. Research has linked it to cancers, hormone disruption and other serious health problems. It seems that when BPA enters the body it latches onto the body’s oestrogen receptors and tricks the body into thinking it’s oestrogen – thus increasing oestrogen levels for both men and women as well as disrupting the natural balance between our hormones. Not great stuff!

A review in 2019 (ii) concluded; “Recent findings support a causal role of BPA at low levels in the development of cancers and in dictating their response to cytotoxic therapy.”

In 2020 a study (iii) found that people who had higher levels of bisphenol A in their urine were about 49% more likely to die during a 10-year period. Even as long ago as 1996 research was indicating concerns around endocrine disruption - sadly since then the list of endocrine disrupting chemicals (which includes BPA) has been steadily growing (iv).

Michael Greger of Nutrition Facts writes (2019)(v): “As the world’s oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones concluded, ‘even infinitesimally low levels of exposure—indeed, any level of exposure at all—may cause [problems].”

Not just plastics

A research review paper in 2018 (vi) noted: “Occurrence of BPA in breast and commercial milk represents a public health concern” and that “infants and children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of BPA exposure.”

While another 2018 report found that 93% of till receipts have BPA or bisphenol S (BPS) which were readily transferred onto the skin when handling them. Thankfully BPA has been banned in till receipts in the UK since January 2020. It seems BPS is still in some UK till receipts, although most major supermarkets are now using alternatives. So largely good news particularly for many shop workers who handle many till receipts in a day(vii).
 

Action on BPA – and alternatives

An EU ban on BPA in baby bottles only came into force in 2011 and in food packaging in 2020. It is hard trying to find out the extent of BPA use today; it is certainly being used in new products and of course in products that were made before the bans. Also while there are moves to reduce exposure to the public it seems there is little being done in terms of the impact on those workers, largely women, in the plastic industry.

Banning BPA may still lead to problems as in some cases it is being replaced by other unregulated chemicals like BPS which some argue could be worse than BPA.

BPS and bis­phenol F (BPF) are the two most common replacements for BPA. Research in animals shows that both chemicals disrupt hormone balance comparably to-and sometimes worse than-BPA. Research also suggests that high levels of BPS may promote weight gain. The good news of the replacement BPS is that it may be less likely to leach into your food or beverage when heated in the container, as opposed to BPA, which is very sensitive to heat.

BPA-free does not mean chemical free. I have personally moved away from storing food in plastic where possible but many foods still arrive plastic wrapped especially supermarket products – even many of the organic ones are shrink wrapped. I remember that it was only a year ago that I came to understand that many canned foods had a BPA lining. I was horrified to find that research from the US in 2016 found that people who had consumed one can of food had 24% higher concentrations of BPA in their urine (within 24 hours after consumption) than people who had not consumed canned food.  

Some companies have gone BPA free like Biona and some Mr Organic products – plus an increasing number of products can be found in jars for a price. However too many companies are not talking the issue seriously and it can be hard to find food labelled as to whether it is free from BPA, BPS or BPF - and of course this doesn’t answer the question about how safe the new liners are?
 

What can you do?

We don’t fully know the impact of the replacements so to avoid these chemicals in your food here’s a list that I’ve pulled together that may help us make better choices;

-       if the container or plastic has a number 3 or 7 recycle code, it more likely contains BPA or BPS so that is one to avoid.

-       Choose food and drinks packaged in glass rather than aluminium and plastics

-       Tetra Pak - many non-dairy, beans and tomato products come in these and they are BPA and BPS free

-       choose BPA-free cans where possible

-       dried organic beans are less likely to be contaminated with chemicals than those from cans also sprouted beans can take much less time to cook

-       use glass and stainless steel for food storage at home

-       age increases the leaking of BPA from plastics so take care to throw away old or damaged plastic containers

-       use bees wax wraps or other non-plastics to cover food

-       never heat food in any type of plastic container

-       silicone maybe safer than many plastics but has not been researched well and food-grade silicone can have many additives and colourings added which are not usually listed

-       use a wooden shopping board; plastic has been shown to have more bacteria than wood and there is a risk of small plastic particles becoming dislodged and mixing with the food

-       some takeaways are fine if you bring your own containers

-       getting an organic box delivered or more regular shops at the farmers market could help reduce supermarket plastic wrapping

-       avoid plastic coffee makers and if using filters use non-bleached paper

-       Use unbleached parchment paper for baking and wrapping food. Parchment is often coated with silicone that is considered inert and safe; but as noted above research is limited

-       Aluminum foil can be used to wrap foods but best used with dry foods; acidic foods like tomato sauce can increase the likelihood of it leaching into foods.

Do you have any suggestions to add to this list?

It’s worth noting again that we’ve have only looked at BPA here – as the 2018 report at the beginning of this blog suggests we need to look much wider – for example others like phthalates are also known to mimic and disrupt hormones while many others have other effects.
 

Notes

(i)            ‘Anti Cancer Living’ by Dr Lorenzo Cohen and Alison Jefferies (2018)

(ii)           https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30848227/

(iii)         https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2769313

(iv)         https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-009-0107-7

(v)          https://nutritionfacts.org/2019/11/05/why-hasnt-bisphenol-a-bpa-been-banned-completely/ and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2726844

(vi)         https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691518300863

(vii)       https://saferchemicals.org/2018/01/17/new-report-9-out-of-10-receipts-contain-toxic-bpa-or-bps/

 

A look at Environmental Toxins

Today it's a look at Environmental Toxins - of course people have written books on this topic and often books on aspects of this - so it is more of an introduction. As regular readers will know I've been helping a few hours a week to establish a series of Integrative Health Forums and some of the groups. What has been fascinating is that I've been able to join in some of the discussions - this blog is based a lot on my Wigwam Group blog here and their discussion that looked at environmental toxins.... 

Since the 1970s more than 78,000 chemicals have been approved for commercial use. Only 1,000 have been formally examined and considered for their carcinogenic potential - and of those the World Health Organisation consider 120 as ‘known’ carcinogens, 81 as probable carcinogens and 299 as possible carcinogens (i).

We know little about the other thousands of chemicals. What is the impact of each of those chemicals on one another? Do some change our internal biology that could lead to the onset of diseases? What is the accumulative effect?

The average adult uses 9 personal care products a day with 126 unique chemical ingredients (ii)! One in five adults are exposed to all the top seven carcinogenic impurities found in personal care products including formaldehyde. Women are hit harder with an average of 168 chemicals every day. 
Indeed many everyday products could be a concern - and their seem to be regular media stories raising concerns; in 2016 Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder and other talc products for feminine hygiene were determined by a Missouri state court to cause ovarian cancer (update 6/9/22; Talc is to be withdrawn - see here). Last year 75 hand sanitiser brands were recalled in the States as they contained toxic ingredients. We've also just seen last month dozens of Pantene and Herbal Essences dry shampoo sprays recalled for a cancer-causing chemical (see here).
There are many examples of papers pointing to the impact of chemicals that are widely being used. A PubMed paper for example, from November 2020 looking at hand sanitisers notes that "it has been observed that overuse of alcohol based hand sanitizer results antimicrobial resistance, which can put more burdens on already struggling healthcare professionals. Repeated exposure of disinfectant, antibiotics or other genotoxic chemicals to microbes tends them to get mutations through natural process that make them resistant to survive from repeated use of hand sanitizer".
I remember a ground-breaking study in 2004 that still shocks; the Environmental Working Group commissioned five laboratories to examine the umbilical cord blood from ten babies and found more than 200 chemicals in each newborn. They report that they would have found more if they had tested for more.
In a blog back in June 2009 a blood test came back suggesting that my cancer may have been caused by a chemical found in moth-proofing carpets, air-fresheners and toilet bowl blocks - see that blog here. As I note then it is possible that that played a role in my cancer but I think it is far more complex than that.
It is easy to become paralysed by the overwhelming number of possible toxins in our environment. However we can become informed and thoughtful consumers. The list of chemicals is likely to grow and we are unlikely to know what impact many of them will have on ourselves. Many of us have adopted a precautionary principle so that until a chemical has been found to be harmless we will try not to use it. One example of this is if a product has the word ‘fragrance’ it may well have endocrine disrupters in it - so we just don’t use it.Toxins role in Cancer?
Professors Rosalie David and Michael Zimmerman looked at cancer prevalence by reviewing the remains of Egyptian mummies and data gathered since then. They concluded that “Cancer certainly existed in antiquity…but the rarity of that diagnosis in the tens of thousands of skeletal remains and thousands of mummies that have been examined supports our view that most cancers in our modern populations are due to man-made factors”.
There is increasing evidence for the impact of environmental factors on cancer. In a Nature article in Jan 2016 it was estimated 70-90% of cancers are caused by diet, lifestyle and environmental factors. While a Pubmed article (iv) by Schneiderman found 80% of cancer is related to the environment. Cohen and Jefferies in their great book ‘Anti-Cancer Living’, say research shows diet and sedentary behaviour in the US is around 30-35%, tobacco 30% worldwide, viral infections 15%, radiation up to 10%, alcohol 3.5%, but they acknowledge that environmental toxins are too hard to estimate.
Our homes and lives are certainly full of chemicals - and it is true that some of those will have an impact on our health. It is also true that we can’t realistically avoid them all but we can limit exposure.

Nutrition
There are varying reports about the possible impact of pesticides in our food. Amazingly we can lower pesticide levels in washed produce by 80% by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and veg (most years these include apples, potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries). While the Journal of Environmental Research found 7 days on an organic diet led to dialkyl phosphate pesticide (DAP) levels dropping by 89% in urinary secretion. DAPs make up 70 to 80% of organophosphate pesticides.
There are also concerns regarding other foods including some processed foods, dairy, meat and more. This is a topic for another blog.
Of course what you eat can also help detox - foods like beets, lemon, chlorella, spirulina, broccoli sprouts, milk thistle and more - but again that is another blog.
Wigwammer thoughts

In the Wigwam group people shared various thoughts and ideas. To give a taste here are some of them; vinegar for cleaning, glass storage for food (as opposed to plastic) but also to avoid tinned food that has BPA liners, replacing toilet bleach with bicarbonate of soda, purifying water, getting an infrared sauna, being aware of Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), mercury in food and fillings, some medications and treatments/screenings, radon, asbestos and more. 
Phew - you can see why this could be totally overwhelming and lead to panic.....but also crucial to remember the impact of stress! Over four years since my diagnosis and I am still learning and still trying to reduce the impact of chemicals on my immune system.

Previous Forum looked at Environmental Toxins
Leyla Mouddan, a Digestive Health educator and previously President of Association of Naturopathic Practitioners looked at a very basic framework for the everyday changes that increase immunity, exploring how our homes could be poisoning us - and what we can do about it - to access you need to sign up (free) to get access: https://www.wigwam.org.uk/podcast-and-videos

Air quality
There are over 36,000 premature deaths in the UK linked with air pollution (v) - more than from obesity or alcohol. The UK Government has breached EU limits on air quality and been found guilty twice in court. Cancer Research UK estimate 3,600 cases of cancer due to air pollution (vi).
One of the more common pollutants is benzene; it is known to cause cancer and is found in many products and places including cigarettes, glues, solvents, paints, pesticides, airports and petrol stations. Since learning this I’ve been far more careful now to avoid breathing in fumes when I fill up with petrol!
Update 11.08.22: "Researchers say they have cracked how air pollution leads to cancer, in a discovery that completely transforms our understanding of how tumours arise" - see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62797777

Outside air is one thing but inside our homes and work places can also be polluted and in many cases can be more polluted than outside. 
Indoor Air Pollution
This list is some from the one by Tony Davies from one of the Wigwam groups;

There is no safe level of tobacco consumption, a major cause of cancer, do not allow it indoors.

Open windows to air the home for a few minutes daily, do NOT use ‘air fresheners’ that can contain toxic chemicals eg: volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (respiratory irritants), benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, m,p-xylene, phthalates, and more.

The British Lung Foundation advise NOT to burn scented candles and incense in a confined space as they let off VOCs and other pollutants eg formaldehydes (linked to cancer);

Many plants produce a lot of oxygen and some remove toxins from the air - spider plants have been shown to remove formaldehydes and other toxins – all good to have in the bedroom. One of the Wigwam group sent this re houseplants that help clean air: “according to NASA Snake plants are one of the best houseplants for absorbing airborne toxins, including formaldehyde, nitrogen oxide, benzene, xylene and trichloroethylene. There are many websites with lists of plants that are good - here’s one: https://www.cancerdefeated.com/are-your-houseplants-%E2%80%A8really-purifying-your-air/ “

Keep humidity below 55% (hygrometers to measure this are cheap and readily available) to minimise chance of mould growth eg Aspergillus (black) which affects lungs and breathing - not something you want if going through chemo or have any form of lung problems. If mould does start to grow chlorine based bleach is itself a Xenoestrogen and thus carcinogenic and only kills spores on non-porous surfaces. Use vinegar, tea tree oil, hydrogen peroxide and then baking soda.

Try to avoid drying clothes on radiators, a significant source of humidity. Best practice is to dry them outside, otherwise use a tumble drier that vents or collects moisture.

A lot of this seems to be common sense but I think we can too easily get seduced into seeing chemicals as an easy answer.

Notes
(i) ‘Anti Cancer Living’ by Dr Lorenzo Cohen and Alison Jefferies (2018)(ii) www.ewg.org(iii) https://www.nature.com/articles/nrc2914-c3(iv) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/642654/(v) https://friendsoftheearth.uk/clean-air(vi) https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/air-pollution-radon-gas-and-cancer/how-can-air-pollution-cause-cancer and see BBC report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-2456444