Not long ago I lost a member of my family to cancer and a year ago August 20th 2007 my wife was diagnosed with Large B-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, currently in remission. I am also a cancer survivor of more than 20 years.

In 1901 cancer was a rare disease accounting for four percent of all deaths in the U.S; in 1976, thirty-eight percent of deaths were attributed to cancer; and today 1 in 3 of us will develop this deadly disease. As you know cancer is cruel and very costly. What happened to the "War Against Cancer" announced in 1971 with an expected cure before the Bicentennial in 1976?

Consider this fact--between 1965-1982--- 75,000 new chemicals were created. There are 3000 chemicals in food, 700 in water and 884 known toxic substances in personal care products (source FDA). Most scientists agree---with the chemical revolution came increased malignancy rates.

Now would you believe me if I told you that eighty percent of all cancers are related to the environment, and only a small portion is genetically caused? Cancer is the result of toxins invading the body and attacking healthy cells. In fact Dr. Thomas J. Slaga, President and CEO of the AMC Cancer Research Center in Lakewood, CO says, "we now know that eighty percent of all cancers can be prevented because they are due to our lifestyle, i.e. faulty nutritional relationship, smoking, radiation and sunlight."

I am not offering you a cure for cancer. I am offering you and your loved ones, information on how to reduce your risk of getting cancer with personal care products that have "no harmful ingredients." We may not be able to control the chemicals in our food and water, but we can practice cancer prevention by controlling what we put in and on our bodies and our children’s bodies. Do you know what known carcinogens are "hiding out" in your toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, cosmetics, bubble bath, shaving gel or lotions? Isn’t it time to take a closer look at the "cancer in your bathroom?"

I think people are still reluctant to look at the link between what we put in and on our bodies and the effect it has on our bodies.

We can hope that cancer won’t come our way…but the truth about cancer will always remain the same, it knows no boundaries, it strikes young as well as old, rich and poor.

We have but one life to live we owe it to ourselves, to our families and to our friends, to some how prevent cancer to the best of our abilities.