Cancer & Environment

Whether it’s at work, at home or in nature, our surrounding environment has a big impact on our health. Take a deep dive into the correlation between cancer and the environment.

In Plain Sight

In a midwestern town, thousands of people who lived and worked near the medical medical device sterilization company Sterigenics experienced daily exposure to cancer-causing rates of ethylene oxide. Years later, the community is finally seeking justice.

Tiny Particles, Huge Problems

All plastic products shed “microplastics” — minute particles that are infiltrating the water we drink, the air we breathe and even our own bodies. Research into the effects of microplastics is still young, but signs point to potentially devastating long-term impacts on the environment and human health.

Taking Action

Cancer Wellness spoke with the founders of six wildly different initiatives — from a nonprofit, to a mobile app, to a virtual happy hour — that were all inspired by their individual cancer journeys.

Cleaning Up the Calumet

For decades, industrial and manufacturing waste was dumped into the Grand Calumet River, turning the natural wilderness of the Calumet region into a polluted wasteland. But recent cleanup efforts aim to restore the river and surrounding region to a place of beauty once again.

Downwinders

Communities downwind of nuclear testing sites bear the brunt of negative health outcomes from radiation exposure.

Running on Fumes

Planes, trains and automobiles are getting the “going green” treatment, showing promise for the future of healthier travel.

A Medical Menace

Photoinitiators are used in a variety of everyday objects—including medical instruments. A new study reveals how exposure to certain types of this chemical may pose a cancer risk.

The Pain of PFAS

PFAS are found in everyday products from makeup to food packaging and may increase cancer risk, but the U.S. has fallen short when it comes to protecting consumers from these “forever chemicals.”

A Dirty Secret

The US is the top oil producer in the world, but emerging research is finding that a push for profit may come at the expense of citizens’ health.

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

U.S. military bases across the Middle East are partaking in open air burn pits to cheaply destroy unwanted items. In the process, some soldiers are paying a deadly price.