Samuel Epstein Leaves Legacy of Cancer Prevention

Dr. Samuel Epstein spent his life advocating cancer prevention and fighting against industries that put workers and consumers at risk. For more than 50 years, Epstein raised awareness of preventable causes of cancer. Among his targets was asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral linked to mesothelioma, lung cancer and other deadly conditions. He’s credited for saying the asbestos industry “successfully suppressed and manipulated information on the carcinogenicity and other hazards of asbestos.” In his 1998 book “The Politics of Cancer Revisited,” Epstein discussed the elaborate cover-up that Johns Manville and other asbestos companies used to hide the dangers of the toxic mineral. He also addressed how the asbestos industry later relocated operations to developing countries such as Mexico and Taiwan. Epstein died of cardiac arrest on March 18 in Chicago. He was 91. Who Was Samuel Epstein? Epstein was a physician, author, lecturer and political activist. Until the time of his death, Epstein served as a professor emeritus of environmental and occupational health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Born in Middlesbrough, England, in 1926, Epstein moved to the U.S. in 1960. He worked for the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation, now the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He taught at Harvard University and Case Western University Medical School before joining the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1976. He authored 270 scientific articles and 15 books on ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news