Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Fallacies of lifestyle cancer theories

Self-interest of the chemical industry apart, the lifestyle theory of cancer causation is held to reflect misinformation and ‘inactive conservatism’.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Peto, R. Nature 284, 297–300 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Epstein, S. S. The Politics of Cancer (Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 1978, revised and expanded in Anchor/Doubleday, New York, 1979); quotations refer to the 1979 edition.

    Google Scholar 

  3. AIHC Recommended Alternatives to OSHA's Generic Carcinogen Proposal, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Docket No. H-090) (American Industrial Health Council, 24 February, 1978).

  4. Vital Statistics—Special Reports, U.S. DHEW, 43, 163 (1956); Vital Statistics of the U.S. 2 (1970).

  5. Pollack, E. S. & Horm, J. W. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 64, 1091 (1980).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Trends in Mortality, 1951–1975 (U. K. Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, Series DH1, No. 3, 1978).

  7. Third National Cancer Survey, 1969–1971 (NCI, Bethesda); Cancer Surveillance Epi-demiology and End Results (SEER) Program.

  8. Schneiderman, M. Occupational Safety & Health Administration OSHA Docket 090 ( 4 April, 1978).

  9. Zdeb, M. S. Am. J. Epidemiol. 106, 6 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Davis, D. L. & Magee, B. H. Science 206, 1356 (1979); see also U.S. International Trade Commission Reports.

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Chemical Dangers in the Workplace, 34th Report of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives (September 27, 1976).

  12. Enstrom, J. E. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 62, 755 (1979).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Sterling, T. D. Int. J. Hlth Services 8, 437 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Newhouse, M. L. & Wagner, J. C. Br. J. ind. Med. 26, 302 (1969).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Wynder, E. L. & Stellman, S. D. Cancer Res. 37, 4608 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Wagoner, J. K., Infante, P. F. & Bayliss, D. L. Envir. Res. 21, 15 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Mancuso, T. F. & Sterling, T. D. J. natn. med. Ass. 67, 107 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Archer, V. E., Gillam, J. D. & Wagoner, J. K. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 271, 280 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Axelson, O. & Sundell, L. Scand. J. Work envir. Hlth 4, 46 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Yamada, A. Acta path. jap. 13, 131 (1963).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Pinto, S. S. Archs envir. Hlth 33, 325 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Weiss, W. & Boucot, K. R. J. Am. med. Ass. 234, 1139 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Mason, J. T. & McKay, F. W. Atlas of Cancer Mortality for U.S. Counties: 1950–1969 (Dept H.E.W., Washington, D.C., 1975); Atlas of Cancer Mortality for U.S. Counties among U.S. Non-Whites (Dept H.E.W., Washington, D.C., 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Blot, W. J. et al. Science 198, 51 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Carnow, B. Envir. Hlth Perspect. 22, 17 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Armstrong, B. K. & Doll, R. Int. J. Cancer 15, 617 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Cole, P., Monson, R. R., Haning, H. & Friedell, G. H. New Engl. J. Med. 284, 129 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Wynder, E. L., Mabuchi, K., Maruch, N. & Fortner, J. G. Cancer 31, 641 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Cole, P. & Goldman, R. Persons at High Risk of Cancer: An Approach to Cancer Etiology and Control (ed. Fraumeni, J. F. Jr) 167–184 (Academic, New York, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Blot, W. J. & Fraumeni, J. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 61, 1017 (1978).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Hoover, R. & Fraumeni, J. Envir. Res. 9, 196 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Milham, J. . in Occupational Carcinogenesis (eds Wagoner, J. & Saffiotti, U.) 243–249 (New York Academy of Sciences, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Berg, J. W. in Persons at High Risk of Cancer: An Approach to Cancer Etiology and Control (ed. Fraumeni, J. F. Jr) 201–224 (Academic, New York, 1975).

  34. Phillips, R. L. Cancer Res. 35, 3513 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Millet, A. B. et al. Am. J. Epidemiol. 107, 499 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Doll, R. Cancer Res. 45, 2475 (1980).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Caroll, K. K. Cancer Res. 35, 3374 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Higginson, J. & Muir, C. S. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 63, 1291 (1979).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Wynder, E. L. & Gori, G. B. Am. J. Publ. Hlth 66, 359 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Maugh, T. H. Science 205, 1363 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. Doll, R. Nature 265, 589 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Selikoff, I. J. & Hammond, C. E. J. Am. med. Ass. 242, 458 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Bridbord, K. et al. Estimates of the Fraction of Cancer in the United States Related to Occupational Factors (National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 15 September, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Stellman, J. M. & Stellman, S. D. What Proportion of Cancer is Attributable to Occupation; Statistical and Social Consideration (American Society for Preventive Oncology, Chicago, 6–7 March, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  45. Report of an IARC Working Group Cancer Res. 40, 1 (1980).

  46. Toxic Chemicals and Public Protection (Report to the President of the Toxic Substances Strategy Committee of the Council on Environmental Quality, May, 1980).

  47. Stallones, R. A. & Downs, T. A Critical Review of Bridbord, K. et al. prepared for the American Industrial Health Council (1979).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Epstein, S., Swartz, J. Fallacies of lifestyle cancer theories. Nature 289, 127–130 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/289127a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/289127a0

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing