What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish

Photo: mahalo.com




2004 EPA and FDA Advice for:

* Women Who Might Become Pregnant
* Women Who are Pregnant
* Nursing Mothers
* Young Children

Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet. Fish and shellfish contain high-quality protein and other essential nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fish and shellfish can contribute to heart health and children's proper growth and development. So, women and young children in particular should include fish or shellfish in their diets due to the many nutritional benefits.

However, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury. For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern. Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. The risks from mercury in fish and shellfish depend on the amount of fish and shellfish eaten and the levels of mercury in the fish and shellfish. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are advising women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to avoid some types of fish and eat fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.

water.epa.gov/

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BREAST CANCER

                         CANCERS IN MALAYSIA WOMEN 2002 & 2003
      BREAST CANCER IN MALAYSIA - THE STARK FACTS

• Breast cancer was the commonest overall cancer as well as the commonest cancer in women amongst all races from the age of 20 years in Malaysia for 2002 and 2003.
• Breast cancer is most common in the Chinese, followed by the Indians and then, Malays.
• Breast cancer formed 31% of newly diagnosed cancer cases in women in 2003. (30.4% in 2002)

• The Age Standardised Rate (ASR) of female breast cancer is 52.8 per 100,000 population in 2002 and 46.2 per 100 000 population in 2003. Amongst the Chinese, it is higher at 70.1 per 100,000 population, for the Indians, the ASR is 61.7 per 100,000 and it is lowest in the Malays at 41.9 per 100,000 population. In 2003, it was 33.9 in Malays, 59.7 in Chinese and 55.8 in Indian women
• A woman in Malaysia has a 1 in 19 chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime
• The cumulative life time risk of developing breast cancer for Chinese women, Indian women and Malay women were 1 in 14, 1 in 15 and 1 in 24 respectively.
• Slightly more than half of the women diagnosed with cancer were less than 50 years old.

Estimates by the International Agency for Research in Cancers (Globocan 2000) reported that in 2000, there were 3,825 cases reported and 1,707 deaths from breast cancer in Malaysia. Globocan 2000 estimated the crude rate of breast cancer in Malaysia of 34.9 per 100,000 population with Age Standardised rate of 41.9 per 100,000.

   Deaths from Cancers in women (Vital statistics Malaysia)

                                    1994       1995       1998
  Breast                        260         320       339
  Lung                           244         254       272
  Cervix                        165         142       177
  Colorectal                 128         164       149
  Leukemia                  128         142       139
  Stomach                     99         105       103
  Liver                           98          102       106
  Ovary                         88            95       122

  Note: Only 1/3 of all deaths in Malaysia are medically certified
Source: National Cancer Registry, www.radiologymalaysia.org
Compilation organized by:
Norisdawati Binti Abdul Gani
http://www.cancereducation.org.my/
http://feldatoday.blogspot.com/