More Brain Tumors Now-a-days?

[Dear Maggie]

The CDC just started tracking brain tumors in 1977.

I think they would be more frequent, even though in some cases it can take upwards of 50 years for them to develop?

I had a cousin who had a brain tumor removed some years back. Didn't know anything about them then; however, in the last couple of years I have been hearing more about people having them & a couple of people in recent months in our small town in Alaska have died of brain turmors. Or had brain tumors.

I personally think it is because of the use of more and more 2-butoxyethanol since the 1930s. If this chemical is the root cause, parents would have the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The fatigue that this chemical causes is hemolytic anemia (which I suspect is autoimmune) The World Health Organization says that children of those harmed by ethylene glycol monobutyl ether type chemicals are more at risk for leukemia and tumors of the brain. So are we seeing that now?

At Thanksgiving we had a young woman come down with Cushings Syndrome and she also had 2 brain tumors: one on her pituitary; one behind her eye. She was medivaced to Seattle to have them surgically removed. There are 2 other people in our town who have had brain tumors removed & they are still alive, too.

We have a park named after Barney Meyring who died of brain cancer. I heard he was a young man; it was after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, so I wonder whether he had some exposure there? He was a first responder with his company, that I know. Lois died of melanoma brain cancer a couple of years ago... a very sweet, older woman that I knew. I wish she was still alive today.

Howard was not that old when he died last month. He first had lung cancer; ended up dying from brain cancer. A family member said he had tumors throughout his body. I know there are people who think it was because he smoked, and it just spread, you know. I think it was because he was a mechanic who worked with break fluid, and other cleaner/degreasers ... and it was from exposure to 2-butoxyethanol That would make more sense. www.valdezlink.com/organs_affect_list.htm

There are multiple cancers that 2-butoxyethanol can cause. Which one shows up first is sort of irrelevant. It is attacking multiple body systems at the same time. The USA hasn't studied this, but maybe they should www.valdezlink.com/generic.htm#fed

Sue died end of Sept this year. I notice the pattern of this chemical's harm with her. First cancer she had was rectal skin cancer. (As a child she had horrible headaches; her mom died of kidney caner) Her death certificate will say she died of liver cancer. www.valdezlink.com/health_survey_for_doctor.htm#liver However, she had brain tumors at the time of death and prior to that a thyroid ailment with resultant kidney stones. When her oncologist was checking her out that month, I said, "Sue, ask your doctor to test for whether or not you have too many immature red blood cells." He did and she did have too many that were immature. His comment, "Well, what do we do with this information?" I asked her to have the doctor look back and see if there was trace blood in urine, but she died before we found out if another clue of 2-butoxyethanol poisoning were there www.valdezlink.com/psa.htm

This is Thelma's story. . . a sweet, wonderful person in IL whom I had the privilege of meeting. Thelma died of the brain tumor that was the size of a golf ball. www.valdezlink.com/inipol/pages/thelma.htm

I personally believe that 2-butoxyethanol and diethylene glycol monobutyl ether chemicals www.valdezlink.com/same.htm are the most probable cause of 'gulf war syndrome' and that the civilian name for it should be CFS or CFIDS www.valdezlink.com/cfid_share.htm These are considered neurotoxins, solvents, pesticides & poisons. They were exposures for the gulf war syndrome vets ... They are exposures for our troops today. And also for moms for mechanics for painters, etc

This chemical doesn't get blamed for much of any health ailment. But if you ask me, it is the root cause of a whole lot; and its harm is so rampant as to affect almost everyone.

[KT2000]

1. Good work Dear Maggie

I always wondered what happened to the crews in Valdez. I knew that many would be ill and then abandoned.

I too have spent a lot of time investigating chemicals and their health effects due to exposure illness.

As you have already seen, the doctors do not know much on this topic. And I am afraid that what they do know is tainted by political bias inserted by those fearing liability. A doctor who pursues chemically induced illnesses will see an end to his/her career. Are you up on all that? For example, when Boeing workers were poisoned by a chemical used in maufacturing, Boeing threatened (the governor) that they would take their operations to another state if the illnesses were recognized and compensated. They are in the company of most other corporations - especially the oil companies.

There are some reputable doctors who are doing some good work. For example, Dr. William Meggs at Duke University has found that the tight junctions in the nose weaken and allow chemicals to pass into the olfactory bulb which sits at the center of the brain. He proposes that a combination of chemicals can cause the initial irritation that starts this process.

There are some doctors working to gain recognition of the fact that many of our common illnesses are actually caused by exposure to chemicals. http://www.ehhi.org

I have been interested in the chemical called bis chloromethyl ether (BCME) as it is created when formaldehyde and chlorine mixes in acidic air. It is the most carcinogenic chemical known.

Are you familiar with the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences? http://www.niehs.nih.gov Check out Environmental Health Perspectives, their archives are free now.

We all have to stay on this issue - humankind is in big trouble.

[Dear Maggie]

2. Yes, Mankind IS in big trouble

Thank you for sharing. You have some helps that I shall look into.

When you said, "I always wondered what happened to the crews in Valdez. I knew that many would be ill and then abandoned." You are so right and it brought a sadness to my heart that I have not been thinking about recently.

You may find some things that I share on this thread of interest: Prevent Harm - Oil Spill Workers www.ragereport.com/phpbb/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4753 and here is some information I gathered after talking to some of the workers www.valdezlink.com/workers_etc.htm

Someone started a thread of interest along these lines & my comments follow www.ragereport.com/phpbb/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4838

There is a book which has just come out that you might be interested in. Dr. Riki Ott as a biologist and also someone who knew many workers ... has put a more thorough, yet fair look at these realities.



More discussion on it www.ragereport.com/phpbb/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1065
And a summary www.valdezlink.com/rr_book.htm

Thank you for your thanks. I have spent a lot of time on this the past 2 1/2 years; someone said, that was why the picture of this chemical's harm was coming together for me. www.valdezlink.com/generic.htm

There is a clarification I need to make about exposure, though:

I believe you can be born into life with some of this 'allowable' chemical exposure; you can get your own exposures throughout your life; and you can be exposed indirectly. The second hand solvent exposure of 2-butoxyethanol is, in my opinion, very serious. Even babies can be exposed as the solvent is expelled in one's breath and the worst route of exposure is most likely into the eye membranes of another. Maybe SIDS is the body systems shutting down; and then baby stops breathing? An exposure will often look like the 'flu' BUT, it is NOT the flu

Here is another thread shared by Ollie on the Hazards of a Building Operations Engineer's job entitled ISO 14001: http://www.ragereport.com/phpbb/nfphpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5066

You have done some good research. So sad about the Boeing health issues & how it was dealt with.

[KT2000]

4. Thanks for the info

I will pass it along to others who like me have chemical sensitivity (which is like GWS and CFS).

Your links have good information. I live in Washington and oil spills are not uncommon here.

I hope to see more of your posts. I once asked the administrators on DU if we could have a category for environment and health because that connection is not usually made until it is too late. People also tend to think of environment as the trees, water and soil.
Anyway - they did not agree that it needed a new category but somehow people just have to start thinking in these terms.

Anyway - thanks for the info.

[Dear Maggie]

5. You are so welcome

I have had gulf war vets pass it on, too. However, I find that for the most part after 13 years everyone in that group has their own focus and they do not believe me. Doesn't matter that this 2-butoxyethanol and the complex version are clearly on the list that came out in Feb, 03: one of the Congressionally mandated books, this one on 'Solvents and Pesticides' the gulf war troops were exposed to. I posted 12/03 - 4/04 on gulfwarvets.com as 'Mother Margaret' until the main moderator said, "No, more; she was tired of hearing about how this chemical was such a perfect match" My overview www.valdezlink.com/gwv1-5.htm About December, 03 was when this lady found it for me 'on the list'

I don't think I would have EVER looked in their direction, except that March, 03 we had a new renter spouting off about how 'the gulf war syndrome' vets didn't trust the USA govt and that 150,000 had registered with the American Legion and that they were perplexed as to how the spouses and the children born before their deployment had also come down with 'the symptoms' www.valdezlink.com/wondering.htm

First thing I did was to look up these symptoms. Symptoms of Gulf War Illnesses
(according to the American Legion):

Chronic Fatigue
Signs and symptoms involving skin (including skin rashes and unusual hair loss)
Headache
Muscle pain
Neurological signs or symptoms (nervous system disorders which could manifest themselves in numbness in one's arms or legs, for instance)
Neuropsychological signs or symptoms (including memory loss)
Signs or symptoms involving upper or lower respiratory system
Sleep disturbances
Gastrointestinal signs or symptoms (including recurrent diarrhea and constipation)
Cardiovascular signs or symptoms
Menstrual disorders

My immediate response, "I RECOGNIZE THESE SYMPTOMS"

Then I started comparing how they cleaned up their oil spill at the end of the war. AND I did find some similarities. I sure wish I could find out something about THIS experiment:

"A small Texas company Alpha 30 Environmental had come from Austin to cleanse Saudi wetlands with its oil-eating microbes and a special biocatalyst to stimulate them. The Research Institute of King Fahd University set up experiments to test the technology and its after effects. Alpha was optimistic that it would soon win a test of its technology on a Saudi beach." This company seems to be non-existent.

Our EVOS experiment www.valdezlink.com/inipol/pages/experiment.htm and an overview www.valdezlink.com/1989photos.htm and www.valdezlink.com/valdez_evos_photos.htm You see, Exxon didn't want ANYONE taking pictures, so I thought I'd help out and repost those that I found. www.valdezlink.com/intro.htm www.valdezlink.com/home.htm

There was a new discussion forum that started up this year who invited me to join. That was on May 9, 2004 - Mother's Day and the day I got kicked off the 'gulf war vets' forum. As time when on they allowed another category - HEALTH which has taken off

and one on the Environment, most recently www.ragereport.com/phpbb/nfphpbb/viewforum.php?f=106 Anyone is welcome to join, I hope you will. Whether they agree or not, they let me have my say, and I am very thankful to them.

Here is a list of my posts www.ragereport.com/phpbb/nfphpbb/search.php?search_author=Mother+Margaret Somewhere in there are some replies to the lady who started the Puget Sound Oil spill info (unless it was in the couple of posts I accidentally deleted last week)

Now I am hoping to get this information into the hands of doctors. As when there are too many immature red blood cells, this chemical goes unnoticed and other medical information as to the white blood cells and the liver, etc don't read right. I think it must fool even the CBC. Doctors think these are OK and they don't recognize the overall pattern of this chemical's harm, so is it any wonder that it gets by with hurting so many people. No one should give up their life & quality of life because they were hard working and took a job one day.

OSHA has recently looked into these, but I don't know what they concluded. How could they tell? www.valdezlink.com/inipol/pages/comments.htm They were probably looking at the high rate of prostate cancers or something, but my theory is that the proof of the harm of this chemical is the blood damage ... regardless of the odd assortment of symptoms that pile on top of it.

[teryang]

3. Thanks for the warning

Hadn't heard of this. Is this a "signal" yet?

[Dear Maggie]

6. a sign - but one of the last ones

I would say that the first thing people notice who are affected by 2-butoxyethanol is that they have a horrible fatigue set in that no sleep relieves and that doctors seem unable to pinpoint. That actually is part of the definition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, too, by the way www.valdezlink.com/cfid_share.htm

One EVOS worker shared that for him it settled in 4 months after a serious exposure. (Doesn't it take 4 months to make a new red blood cell supply?) He was a bioremediation worker & the co was taking his blood. So I think it was an experiment on people, not just the environment. He told me that they took his blood a second time but this time with thick tubbed needles so as to not destroy whatever it was they were looking for. He was 18 and went on to college and is a true success story, except that his health is failing.

AND other people will notice how groucy and 'fly off the handle all the time over nothing' you've become. (That is part of the central nervous system damage of this chemical) and more parts are sleep difficulties, CNS depresssion, suicidal tendencies, difficulty concentrating and short term memory loss.

By the way, the suicide rate is higher than expected in our current war, per articles brought forward by the gulf war vets of 90-91 (something like 21 instead of 16 per 100,000?)

I would also like to know if this chemical is added to jet fuel www.valdezlink.com/jp4.htm Some of the warnings look the same, like its causing 'defatted skin' A military man who came down with the 'gulf war syndrome' symptoms in 1985 said he kept going back to the jet fuel & he asked me what I thought. I never had given it a thought, until he brought it forward If so, it's no wonder that sperm count and viability is decreasing in our nation www.valdezlink.com/sperm_count.htm

I would like to know whether this or 2-2-butoxyethanol is in gun cleaners www.valdezlink.com/clp.htm Such as had to be the case for Indiana 'gulf war syndrome' vet, Chad www.valdezlink.com/chad.htm

Please don't let your teen take accutane, either, because it has a butylated inert ingredient. The warnings on accutane remind me of what 2-butoxyethanol does. www.valdezlink.com/inipol/pages/accutane_warnings.htm

AND that could mean reproductive harm in the future ... not just during exposure time. 2-butoxyethanol is a teratogen www.valdezlink.com/teratogens.htm

[Dear Maggie]

7. Pituitary brain tumors - Very Common

Now, I've been suspecting that the horrible headaches some of those with CFS, CFIDS and 'gulf war syndrome' symptoms have .... Might actually be pituitary headaches, don't know

Even children can have horrible headaches http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=228&topic_id=347#1184

But I did learn from the lady who just had such brain tumors removed last month, that the doctors at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle said they were very common brain tumors and they did this type of tumor removal ALL THE TIME

This does not surprise me, because I suspect the chemical that causes these and many other tumors, to be very common to military and civilians alike these past 50+ years

I am now suspecting that it is really an autoimmune problem for other aspects of this chemical's harm ... so for brain tumors, too? I'm just asking questions. I don't know. But it would stand to reason.

How many 'gulf war syndrome' vets or EVOS workers have autoimmune diagnosis?
www.valdezlink.com/gwv_scott.htm had a diagnosis of MS along with 400 other gulf war vets, from what he knew. MS is an autoimmune disease, per this list http://www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/autoimmune/causes.htm


If you have CFS, CFIDS, or 'gulf war syndrome' & need a specialist, what kind would you need?

Ask to be referred to an immunologist (or hematologist)

Immune system can aim at red blood cells, joints, colon, liver, kidneys, nervous system, etc It may be almost entirely an autoimmune issue.

Fatigue? Immune system is working overtime to prematurely destroy the red blood cells. Fatigue is autoimmune hemolytic anemia Red blood cells & all immune cells are made in the bone marrow

More things are autoimmune than we might imagine
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/autoimmune/causes.htm
including damage to the central nervous system

More examples of autoimmune issues

Would glyconutrients help the immune system?

More on the immune system

[MountainLaurel]

8. So many chemicals

And so little time, and political willpower, to study their effects. We will never know the effects of all these artifical products until it's too late.

[ramapo]

9. Not so rare and easier to discover

Brain tumors aren't that rare. Before my son was diagnosed, I had known a few people in my circle of life that had had a brain tumor. Since then I've learned of quite a few others.

My son's brain tumor was removed almost two years ago. It was a very benign growth which was barely classified as a tumor. It was more like a bunch of stuff that shouldn't have been there. If you have to have a brain tumor, his was the kind to get. He had surgery on Tuesday, went home on Friday, and was pretty much back to normal within a few days. Nonetheless it was scary stuff and needless to say, we are very fortunate. Some years ago one of our employees went to the ER with a terrible headache. He was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and was dead in less than six months. When I heard my son's diagnosis, this is what immediately came to mind.

My son's tumor was discovered almost by accident. He had a brief fainting spell which might've been a seizure. Because he had some indications of another underlying condition, he was sent for an MRI which showed the tumor. A previous MRI about eight years earlier had been clear.

The doctor almost didn't send him for the MRI. We were told that the type growth he had may not have shown overt symptoms for another 20 years.

I think there are something like 150,000+ new cases a year and it is believed many tumors lie undiagnosed. Brain cancer is way up there in the leading causes of death for certain age groups. A benign tumor is generally less deadly but if it's in the wrong place it can cause big trouble. Brain tumors are most common in children and older adults.

I have no doubt that the chemical-saturated environment in which we live is a significant factor in the increased incidence of brain tumors as well as cancer in general. Unfortunately it will only get worse as chemicals continue to permeate everything, everywhere.

I've learned more about brain tumors than I ever wanted to know. In some cases they are not as bad as they sound, in others they are just horrible.

BTW, strokes are another not-so-rare occurrence in the young. I know of four kids and two adults in their 30s who had debilitating strokes.

[Vext]

10. My 83 y/o mother just died from a brain tumor on Feb 13.

In early December she appeared normal. She was driving, etc. At Christmas she was acting a little confused so I went back and stayed with her in Seattle and took care of her. She had a CT scan and then an MRI which showed a 3 inch tumor accross the frontal lobes.

I asked the Group Health neurosurgeon how many of these he saw a year and he said the 4 Drs at GH Seattle saw about 50 total a year.

2 years previously she had had a CT scan that supposedly was clear.

We opted for no treatment because treatment would not have brought back any of the lost mental functions. It would have only prolonged her in the state she was in and probably would have been at least uncomfortable if not painful.

She lost a little mental function almost every day. The frontal lobe damage made her docile. Eventually she was on at home hospice. I found out that medicare provides a surprising amount of services. Hospital bed, nurse visits, limited nursing home care. She was asleep or unconscious most of the last 3 days.

So here's to Millie A. A good King County Dem.

[Dear Maggie]

12. Thanks for sharing

It is obvious you made good choices for your mother. And that you gave her good care. Bless you and sad that you had to deal with this situation at all.

[Dear Maggie]

11. Thank you for sharing

And so glad to hear of the good outcome for your son.

I would say the baby boomers are at risk for brain tumors more than earlier times, because it is one of the known things that the 2-butoxyethanol does, per the World Health Organization

The USA does not have a clue.

"From WHO (via Toxins Awareness Group): paint solvents are carcinogenic, painters having a 40% higher chance of lung cancer and 20% higher of stomach, bladder, larynx, etc cancers, while their children are at increased risk of leukaemia and brain tumours"

The lady with a brain tumor last November was told by her doctor in Seattle that they do the removal of the pituitary brain tumors ALL THE TIME. That they are very commonplace. And that every tumor is registered. I wonder which doctors have access to that information?

She has the autoimmune issue also of Cushing's Syndrome

I even learned the other day that insulin resistant Type 2 Diabetes is also autoimmune, which I suspected, because with this 2-butoxyethanol chemical you often see very serious flu-like symptoms and the blood sugar go sky high, like 500+ The blood pressure can go high or low, etc. We are talking about an Endocrine Disruptor Chemical that not only affects all glands, and the nervous system, and the blood, and the skin, but most importantly it is autoimmune. Stop that immune system from going at YOU, and you will find a cure.

Notice the last comment on this - It's the web page I'm working on today, but it is only 'roughed out'

The story of Thelma from IL

[medeak]

13. child brain tumors

are being linked to "test tube" invitro fertilization I heard last year.

A friend has two children conceived invitro and they were shocked to find brain tumor in 1 yr old.

[Dear Maggie]

14. It doesn't surprise me

Could the donors have had Chronic Fatigue Synrome? Or a grandparent?

Alex came down with neuroblastoma at age 1 So do adults

I suspect ALD is a second generation birth defect from 2-butoxyethanol

2-butoxyethanol, per the World Health Organization can cause tumors of the brain and leukemia in the children of those strongly over exposed to this chemical.

So, I suspect birth defects are time-delayed. May show up one year after birth, or 40-50 years after (maybe even Syndrome X and type 2 adult onset diabetes)

[bloom]

15. Brain Tumors

Seems like a lot of brain tumors in people in my life. I had a cousin die of one in her 30's, a sister-in-law had the pituitary kind removed, a neighbor in his 50's died from one a couple years ago, my brother's mother-in-law died from one a couple years back....

A former coworker became involved with the issue when her mother died from a brain tumor a couple years ago.


The neighbor is the only one I know who probably was around a lot of solvents and such. The rest of them - I have no idea - I've wondered if it's something in the water... :shrug:

[Dear Maggie]

16. Could be

The chemical that would cause such (2-butoxyethanol) wants to get into the water, and the warnings on some containers say to keep out of streams ...

But there is second hand exposure. I really am starting to suspect SARS and the a-typical 'pneumonia' it causes to be a second hand solvent exposure such as to this chemical.

Worst exposure is in the eye membranes. The first case was arriving in Hong Kong after a long flight. Maybe several people were expelling this chemical into to recirculating air of the airplane and it affected him more because he had some exposures previously ... and it 'tipped' him over the edge. Then they say that 20 of the health care professionals taking care of him came down with similar symptoms. Well, were they wearing their air tight goggles?

Pituitary brain tumors? Yes, this is what I would suspect. And even that the headaches are not in the brain, but in the pituitary gland? And when the pain is at the base of the skull, then the thymus where the immune cells are processed.

You see, this chemical causes body to be instantly autoimmune at the point someone has too much. I believe we have a pandemic, unrecognized health crisis on our hands.

Now, of the people you mentioned, how many have the CFS, CFIDS or 'gulf war syndrome' type symptoms? THE FATIGUE? THE GROUCHINESS? Even headaches? http://home.gci.net/~blessing/pages/thefatigue.htm

More importantly, how many of their PARENTS did? World Health Organization shares that children of those harmed by 2-butoxyethanol type chemicals are more at risk for several types of cancer ... and their children for leukemia and brain tumors

[Dear Maggie]

17. What kind of work did these do?

Reegarding your comments on those you know who had brain
tumors ... Could I explore this with them/you?

What type of employment did they or their spouse have?
Any chronic fatigue syndrome ... symptoms in them or parents
prior to their birth?

Your Reply: "I don't really know - seems like the women were mostly housewives - so if there is a problem with toxins in cleaning supplies - that could have been it. The neighbor seemed like did a lot of projects - could have used solvents. I think his was job was as a surveyor.

I did think of another person I know who has a pretty serious brain tumor (age about 50) and is alive and trying to cope. He is an artist. He did some printmaking - could have used solvents and such.

OK

THEN my reply ... these could all have received exposure to the 2-butoxyethanol by their own direct exposure to it: in the cleaning products, in the home improvement products such as paint, and solvents in many products; and in work such as printing business.

Also brick masons have a high risk because the final part of cleaning the completed work entails putting chemicals into water and SPRAYING them. Mist in eyes is the worst exposure

[Dear Maggie]

18. Johnnie Cochran dies of inoperable brain tumor

Johnnie Cochran dies of inoperable brain tumor

[OzarkDem]

19. Hold your leaders accountable

Advocate for more funding of research into environmental factors that could be causing cancer. These research programs also need to be open and accountable to the public so we know the right environmental factors are being investigated.

The National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences is trying to move in this direction, but need more support and funding...

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/

Groups like the American Cancer Society refuse to take these issues on. Don't support them until they do.

[Dear Maggie]

20. Yes, that's a good group

and I didn't know that about the American Cancer Society

By the way, I've come to believe that the soft tissue sarcoma cancers are not all that rare. These are one of the KNOWN cancers of harm to the Vietnam vet ... & I suspect many, many.

, and maybe the n-butyl ether chemicals are the culprit, regardless of where they 'show up'

Take a different look at it