Teachers - an occupational hazard for breast cancer

Today, the nation celebrate's Teacher's day - ironically in the month of breast cancer awareness. Just this morning, another teacher-victim of breast cancer passed away just 3 years after being diagnosed at age 34.

Ever since the PBCN was established, we have observed several patients from the teaching profession, mostly coming from the public school sector. Among the early PBCN members was Lenirose Espanol-Cuartero who was diagnosed at age 31 and died just 2 years later.

In 2004, a long-scheduled PBCN symposium on breast cancer for all the public school Principals of Lipa City was unceremoniously cancelled by the Department of Education's Division of Schools Superintendent - just a few days. No reason was given.

Prior to the incident, a PBCN symposium was held for the faculty of Mabini High School in Lipa City on September 2003. The danger of radiation from annual chest X-rays was discussed among other environmental causes of breast cancer. The teachers found the symposium very relevant and thought it best to have others to also know how to avoid breast cancer. It was through their initiative that a symposium for all principals and teachers in their division be scheduled. Most likely, the Division learned that the PBCN was questioning the annual chest X-rays done on all women, regardless of their health history or condition. He most probably did not want teachers questioning this.

When asked in international breast cancer conferences what would account for the epidemic in the Philippines, all are shocked to know of this annual chest X-ray required of all female teachers. Despite the fact that the Quezon Institute for Tuberculosis no longer exists, this practice is still being done ever since then President Manuel Quezon died of tuberculosis. Other than tuberculosis incidence now being minimal and curable, there are now other means to test through the skin, saliva and blood. But chest x-rays are still being done, no matter how old or non-calibrated the equipment is. By annually exposing the breasts of all women (most of whom have healthy lungs), they are being placed at great risk of getting breast cancer.

Read this link on a recent study on chest radiation done on women before age 30 as a risk for those with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_129037.html

The PBCN recently held a symposium in Donsol, Sorsogon and we were not at all surprised to have met teachers afflicted with breast cancer. Though a small community of only 50,000 inhabitants with a very rural and pollution-free environment, the only common risk factor of these teachers were the annual chest x-rays done by mobile units contracted by the Department of Health.


There is no question that radiation causes cancer! While mainstream media keeps reporting about early detection and advances in treatment (whether conventional or not), nothing at all is being mentioned about causes, risk factors and prevention such as the high risks of radiation - like the annual chest x-rays done on all female teachers. Media would never mention this for if they did, they would be opening the doors questioning mammography which is being pushed by the medical sector, as well as government authorities. For this, both the Department of Education and the Department of Health are equally to be blamed for the breast cancer epidemic in our country today.

The moment it is admitted that annual chest x-rays place women at risk of getting breast cancer, out of the window goes mammography!