10 Year-Old Girl Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

Last November, I blogged about Bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic compound found in many common, plastic household items (including baby bottles) and the fact that, as of April 2008, Canadian scientists had proven that it causes a whole host of insidious diseases. I also wrote about Martin Philbert - the guy put in charge of telling the FDA whether or not BPA is harmful - and how he took a $5 million dollar "donation" from Charles Gelman, a guy who makes bajillions of dollars on plastic products. I think it went down like something like this:

Gelman: "Psst, hey Marty... What's your budget over there at the University of Michigan Risk Science Center?"

Philbert: "About $100,000 - why?"

Gelman: "Uh huh. And when are you gonna release your findings on BPA to the FDA?"

Philbert: "In about a month or so - why?"

Gelman: "Hows about I write you a check for $5 million to keep yer yap shut on how bad this stuff is, eh?"

Philbert: "Well..."

Gelman: (Opening his checkbook) "Heh - look at all those zeros, Marty..."

Philbert: "You're right! Okay!"

Gelman: "Be sure not to say anything to the FDA about the donation, a'ight?"

Philbert: "Whaddya think I am - stupid or something?"

About a month later, Philbert reports to the FDA that Bisphenol A is safe.

One year later, we read a headline announcing a 10 year-old girl's breast cancer diagnosis.

Ten years ago, this little girl's parents probably bottle fed her. No biggie - until they boiled her baby bottles to clean and sterilize them. Exposed to excessive heat (once is all it takes), the plastic bottles begin to break down and Bisphenol A leaches into whatever liquid goes into the bottle allowing the small child to basically mainline the cancer-causing compound. I used to boil my babys' bottles, too, so who knows what kind of unholy heck I unleashed upon their billions of vulnerable baby cells.

Oh - and it's not just baby bottles. You know those cans of baby formula? Well, they're lined with a plastic which contains Bisphenol A. So babies who drink formula that comes from cans are getting hit with the cancer-causing, gene-altering toxins twice.

I saw this article today and couldn't help but wonder if there's some sort of connection between Bisphenol A and this young girl's horrific diagnosis: Ten year-old girls just don't get breast cancer.

Well - they didn't used to anyway.

The National Toxicology Program concluded that there is “some concern” that fetuses, babies and children were in danger because of Bisphenol A. Some scientists suspect that exposure early in life disrupts hormones and alters genes, programming a fetus or child for breast or prostate cancer, premature female puberty, attention deficit disorders and other reproductive or neurological disorders.

"Hannah Powell-Auslam, 10, assumed a lump near her rib cage was a bone. But a biopsy revealed it was a malignant tumor, and Hannah may be the youngest person ever diagnosed with breast cancer.

Hannah, who lives in La Mirada, California, was diagnosed last month after she complained about an itching in her left breast and her mother noticed a lump. ABC News reports that doctors initially told the family she was too young to have breast cancer, but tests determined that she has invasive secretory carcinoma, which has only been documented in a few hundred girls in Hannah's age group." 

Just a gentle reminder to take a look at the bottom of anything plastic from which you eat or drink: If you see the number "7" in the little recycle triangle - pitch it in the nearest trash can ASAP.

And, as a follow up to the aforementioned post, Health and Human Services investigators ultimately cleared Philbert of any wrongdoing but recommended that he not vote on any action concerning Bisphenol A.

As far as the FDA's position on Bisphenol A (despite scientific evidence to the contrary):

"The FDA, however, refuses to take any precautionary steps to reduce the public's exposure to BPA. In September [2008], the agency declined to act on BPA, even though Canada took steps in April [2008] to reduce child exposure to BPA. In December [2008], the FDA decided to compile more research on the chemical's effects.

BPA now floats in a state of limbo. Researchers argue that the chemical should be banned right away and that the FDA has acted without the public's interest in mind. Manufacturers of BPA, however, say opposing scientists lack proof that BPA causes disease."


What more proof do you need than a 10 year-old who's been diagnosed with breast cancer?