CancerAware102612

Businesses, schools and organizations

are invited to join us this October.The Valley Goes Pink is a grassroots, community-wide effort sponsored by Griffin Hospital, to create awareness about the need for regular mammograms, to help prevent breast cancer, to help raise funds for The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness, and to showcase area organizations – all at the same time!Join the businesses, municipalities, and schools below and:

Dedicate a percentage of sales through a “pink promotion”“Pinkify” your business, office, school with ribbons or lightsHost a $5 casual / dress down or wear pink to work daySell Griffin Hospital wristbands or thumb bands

Get together with friends and neighbors and create your own event. Come up with

an original idea or copy another. Let us know what you’re doing! Contact Griffin Hospital Development Fund at 203.732.7504 or [email protected].

All funds benefit The Hewitt Center for Breast Wellness at Griffin Hospital.

Go Pink with us!

Ansonia

Emmett O’Brien Technical High SchoolAnsonia High SchoolInspired Style SalonJohn G. Prendergast SchoolThe Original Antonio’sMolto Bene at John J. Sullivan’sSpector Furniture

Beacon Falls

Beacon Falls PharmacyThe Original Antonio’s

Derby

Capelli SalonCity of Derby Derby High SchoolGrassy Hill Lodge Griffin HospitalJames Heating Oil LaSala: The Italian American Club of DerbyMattei’s Deli & CateringThe EdgeTown and Country Liquor Valley Medical Associates

Milford

Penner Law Firm

Naugatuck

All About You Home Care Services

B Bounce 'NBorough of NaugatuckFriendly’sJesse Camille’s RestaurantLineweber BrothersJohn McCormack, State Farm AgentJennifer Merrill, Coldwell Banker Realty 2000Naugatuck Fire Department Naugatuck RotaryNaugatuck Valley Savings and LoanNaugatuck Visiting Nurses AssociationPink Petal SweetThe Howard Whittemore Library

Oxford

Oxford High School

Regional

First Niagara BankWebster BankWells Fargo Bank

Seymour

Hull’s Funeral Home

Shelton

Booth Hill SchoolShelton High SchoolShelton Intermediate SchoolLong Hill SchoolAribella Restaurant

Blanchette’s Sporting GoodsCurtiss Ryan HondaDoggie Styles Electric Cable Assemblies Greater Valley Chamber of CommerceThe Young Emerging Professionals Hair After SalonHilton Garden InnIl Palio RestaurantInline Plastics OEM ControlsOrthopaetic Sports Medicine CanterPerry Hill SchoolPhysically FitPrudentialReal Estate TwoThe EdgeWellington’s Restaurant

Stratford

Homewood Suites by HiltonPersonalized Home Care

Southport

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Waterbury

Gateway Limousine

OUR THANKS to the following participants:

CITIZEN’S NEWSFriday, October 26, 2012 B13

Most families across the globe

have been affected by cancer.

Affecting millions of lives each year,

cancer does not discriminate.

A host of factors can determine if

a person gets cancer. One of the fac -

tors that can influence if a person gets

cancer is his or her exposure to car -

cinogens. Though many people have

heard of carcinogens, those same peo -

ple might be less familiar with what

carcinogens actually are, and if there’s

anything they can do to reduce expo -

sure to and protect themselves from

these potentially deadly substances.

What is a carcinogen?Substances and exposures that

can lead to cancer are called carcino -

gens. Carcinogens do not always

cause cancer, and substances consid -

ered carcinogens have varying levels

of cancer-causing potential. Minimal

exposure to certain carcinogens may

increase one’s risk of getting cancer

significantly, while other carcinogens

may cause cancer only after prolonged

exposure at high levels.

What happenswhen a person has cancer?

Cancer is caused by changes in a

cell’s DNA. This change can be caused

by carcinogens, though some carcino -

gens have no direct impact on DNA.

For example, a carcinogen may cause

cells to divide at a faster rate than is

normal, and that accelerated division

can increase the chances that DNA

changes will occur.

What are some examples of exposures?

Outside exposures, often referred

to as environmental factors, can also

be considered carcinogens. The fol -

lowing are a few of the more common

environmental factors that qualify as

carcinogens.

• Lifestyle factors: Poor nutrition,

use of tobacco and lack of physical

activity are a few of the lifestyle expo -

sures that can lead to cancer.

• Naturally occurring exposures:

Exposure to radon gas, infectious

agents and ultraviolet light are some

of the naturally occurring exposures

that can lead to cancer.

• Medical treatments: Men,

women and children who were

treated for certain ailments might

have been exposed to certain factors

that can lead to cancer. These include

treatments like chemotherapy, radia -

tion and medications that suppressed

The 411 on carcinogensthe immune system.

What are some examples of sub -stances that are known carcinogens?

As previously mentioned, not all

carcinogens will cause cancer. For

instance, some that are known human

carcinogens, including alcoholic bev-

erages, will not necessarily cause can -

cer. But the following are a few of the

more recognizable substances consid -

ered known human carcinogens.

• Asbestos

• Coal, indoor emissions from

household combustion

• Formaldehyde

• Mineral oils, untreated or mildly

treated

• Neutron radiation

• Nickel compounds

• Shale oils

• Tobacco smoke and smokeless tobacco

Are there differentclassifications of carcinogens?The International Agency for

Research on Cancer has spent the last

30 years evaluating the cancer-causing

potential of more than 900 likely sub -

stances and exposures. That research

has enabled the IARC to devise a sys -

tem for classifying carcinogens as fol -

lows:

• Group 1: Carcinogenic to

humans

• Group 2A: Probably carcino -

genic to humans

• Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic

to humans

• Group 3: Unclassifiable as to

carcinogenicity in humans

• Group 4: Probably not carcino -

genic to humans

Because testing carcinogens is so

difficult (it is unethical to test on

humans), many of the carcinogens

studied by the IARC are classified as

being a probable, possible or

unknown risk. Slightly more than 100

of the candidates studied by the IARC

are classified as Group 1 carcinogens.

It’s important to note that, in addi -

tion to the IARC rating system, other

agencies and groups, including the

National Toxicology Program and the

U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, have developed their own rat -

ing systems to determine the cancer-

causing potential of certain sub -

stances and exposures.

For more information on carcino -

gens, including a list of known human

carcinogens, visit the American

Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.