I think this article is as short-sighted and narrowly focused, like many in the modern medical community when it comes to cancer and its causes.

Plenty of reliable studies show that many types of cancer are much more prevalent in modern cultures than in the third-world. (Consider the incidence of breast cancer alone.) To say that pesticides, chemicals, pollutants, plastics, etc. don't play a role is ignorant, and one day we'll regret our denial.

My uncle died a horribly slow and pain death from mesothelioma two years ago. When he finally breathed his last breath, his face and skin were purple. The disease took more than 30 years to take him -- and has claimed many of his former coworkers as well. When people say this is an underreported disease, they're not exagerating. Though he suffered for years, my uncle wasn't diagnosed until a few weeks before he died. My aunt suspects that doctors conspired with officials of the company where my uncle had worked. Maybe she's right. Maybe she just doesn't trust anyone anymore. Who can blame her?

For many years, scientists denied a connection between asbestos and cancer. What are we missing today? Sure, there are many natural carcinogens, and sure, we should prudently pursue preventative measures to fight the cancers these cause. But the human body has had millions of years to learn to resist natural carcinogens. How long have we had to evolve to resist asbestos, or polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs), or pesticides such as malathion and chlorpyrifos? Fifty years? Thirty years? Ten? And how long will it take for us to realize that there's a natural order in life, and once we step out of that order, we're putting ourselves at risk?