Dr. Leo, another question when you have time....

Minnlady13

Doc, I have gotten this message from two souces, so it seems it is making the rounds. I just wondered if there is any truth to this or is another of those urban legends/myths that we encounter from time to time. Lauri

Subject: UPDATE FROM JOHNS HOPKINS HEALTH CENTER

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in their newsletters. This
information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer. Especially breast cancer. Don't freeze
plastic water bottles with water in them as this also releases dioxin from
the plastic. Dr. Edward Fujimoto from Castle hospital was on a TV program explaining this health hazard. (He is the manager of the Wellness Program at the hospital.) He was talking about dioxins and how bad they are for us.

He said we should not heat our food in the microwave using plastic
containers. This applies particularly to foods that contain fat. He said
that the combination of fat, high heat and plastics releases dioxin into
the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Dioxins are
carcinogens and highly toxic to the cells of our bodies. Instead, he
recommends using glass, Corning Ware, or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, without the dioxin.

So such things as TV dinners, instant Ramin and soups, etc., should be
removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. Just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc.

Remember when some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper? The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. To add to this: Saran wrap placed over foods as they are nuked, with the high heat, actually drips poisonous toxins into the food, use paper towels instead.
_________________
Diagnosed 4/11/1996
Lumpectomy, 6 mm tumor
Neg. nodes
ER/PR+
33 rads
Tamoxifen, 5 yrs.
NED

Muttsmom

http://www.plasticsinfo.org/microwave/index.html
Maybe this will help until Dr. Leo can give more info.
Nancy
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

RachelEsther

That is a hoax, an urban legend, there is no truth to it.

You can always check out hoaxes at http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/library/blhoax.htm. Just go on there and put in some keywords in the search spot on the top right - in this case, I put in "water bottles dioxin cancer". You should bookmark that site.

Here's what was written about this purported Hopkins story - you can find the full story at http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_frozen_plastic_dioxin.htm and there are more links there if you want to look further.

"This widely circulated email ? actual an updated version of an earlier message dating from 2002 ? not only contains inaccurate information, it is falsely attributed to a Johns Hopkins University newsletter. No such information was ever issued by any department of the university.

To combat the inaccuracies, Professor Rolf Halden of Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health addressed the email's opening allegation in a special news release:

OC&PA: What do you make of this recent email warning that claims dioxins can be released by freezing water in plastic bottles?

RH: No. This is an urban legend. Freezing actually works against the release of chemicals. Chemicals do not diffuse as readily in cold temperatures, which would limit chemical release if there were dioxins in plastic, and we don?t think there are. "

There is further info on heating in some of the links, but that's also not dangerous.
_________________
Rachel
Age 50 at diagnosis, Stage IIIA
IDC grade 1, DCIS grade 2
LB Mastectomy, Expander Recon 3/3/2004
Dose Dense Chemo completed 07/01/04
Radiation completed 09/02/04
Silicone Implant 11/22/04, removed 7/05 due to infection (dental cleaning), replaced 12/05. Reduction RB for symmetry 04/06
Tamoxifen 10/04-10/06, Arimidex 10/06 on

Minnlady13

Rachel, thanks for your response. That was my first reaction, but I thought I would run it by the good doctor. I know about the Urban Myth web site. I should have checked there first. Amazing the stuff that is circulating out there, isn't it? Hugs, Lauri
_________________
Diagnosed 4/11/1996
Lumpectomy, 6 mm tumor
Neg. nodes
ER/PR+
33 rads
Tamoxifen, 5 yrs.
NED

RachelEsther

We all get taken in sometimes! Sometimes those urban myths can be so compelling, and so real! Glad this one is a fake.
_________________
Rachel
Age 50 at diagnosis, Stage IIIA
IDC grade 1, DCIS grade 2
LB Mastectomy, Expander Recon 3/3/2004
Dose Dense Chemo completed 07/01/04
Radiation completed 09/02/04
Silicone Implant 11/22/04, removed 7/05 due to infection (dental cleaning), replaced 12/05. Reduction RB for symmetry 04/06
Tamoxifen 10/04-10/06, Arimidex 10/06 on

leo · Site Admin Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 1574

Hello

Seems like you guys handled this one... anyway, so many myths and hoaxes are circulated everyday for no apparent reason... just to complicate everyone's lives...

regards,
Leo
_________________
Leonardo F - Webmaster Cancer Forums
Disclaimer: this information is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice.

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