Thanks to the political action of Breast Cancer Activists during
the past decade, Scientists and Activists have established Public
Interest Liaison Groups to seek input from the community and to
enhance cooperation among researchers, community residents and
public health officials with the goal of improving public health
and setting a national research agenda. The West Islip Breast
Cancer Coalition for Long Island has been appointed as a Public
Interest Liaison for NIEHS. Prevention of disease has proven to
be the most cost-effective means of reducing health care costs
and the prevention of Breast Cancer remains our top priority.
This
past century saw a tremendous increase in health and longevity
because of water sanitation, vaccinations, refrigeration, and
food safety regulation. The new century will identify and implement
national prevention strategies. One tremendous leap for lung cancer
prevention is evident in public policy to discourage cigarette
smoking.
Most
chronic diseases (e.g. cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiovascular,
and autoimmumunity) arise from the complex interactions between
genes and environmental factors.
Here is the “loaded gun” analogy; one can inherit
a predisposition to have a disease, but never have the disease
unless exposed to the environmental trigger.
Unfortunately, the relationship between genes and the environment
is neither well understood nor extensively studied at the present
time. Prevention and environmental health research have not been
as high of a priority as efforts to develop curative treatment
for end-stage diseases. The profit margins for the treatment of
disease is far higher than its prevention. While gene-environmental
interaction is the centerpiece for disease prevention, political
action will change public policies that contribute to the disease.
With
the recent publication of the map of the Human Genome, the opportunity
now exists:
This
is the mission of NIEHS and its Director, Dr. Kenneth Olden. NIEHS
is located at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. NIEHS is
one of 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of
Health, a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human
Services.
For
more information, please visit the NIEHS website at:
www.niehs.nih.gov.
