Occupational Hazard?

[robyn]

I think this is the appropriate place to discuss this topic.

I read the terrible news about Chef Achatz' cancer today. Unfortunately - this was the second time in a short period of time that we learned that a young chef had such a terrible (similar) cancer. The other chef is a friend of ours - not as famous as Chef Achatz - but quite talented. You wouldn't be surprised if a 70 year person who smokes and drinks a lot had these cancers - but they are very surprising (at least to me) in people who are so young.

Our friend told us us that one of his doctors told him that one of the possible causes of his cancer was working in restaurant kitchens for years and years. Does anyone know of any similar cases - or has anyone heard about connections between working over stoves/ovens for many years and these types of cancers (oral and nasal)? Robyn

[cinghiale]

Cancer of the mouth. He may not be able to taste again. From the Trib: click

[sugarseattle]

I don't necessarily believe that cancer of the mouth is an occupational hazard, but I strongly believe that cancer is a disease that is caused by your bodies inability to protect itself from the cancer cells (aka abnormal cells) that spring forth from unhealthy bodies daily. Stress and poor diet can often reduce your bodies ability to stay healthy; that, and some of the weird chemicals and genetic engineering that may be going on with the food supply. But that is not to say that if you eat organically and exercise every day you'll be cancer-free, but if you look at what has changed in our fast paced culture, you can't help but argue that it's our modern lifestyles that are making us sick.

My husband suffered with testicular cancer last fall and is in his first year of remission. For us, there was a very direct correlation between our lifestyle and his cancer. My bakery was in full swing and we were just going going going and not listening to his doctor when he was diagnosed with an infection. Almost a year later with no improvement to his condition, he was rushed into surgery and then chemotherapy. It sucked. He was tired and sick for 3 months straight.

I am so sorry to hear this is happening to a young chef when he has truly found his voice, and I hope he knows he's got a lot of people backing him up.

[scottie]

That is really tragic. I hope he beats this. A couple of Alinea's co-owners were in our restaurant last winter, and they talked a lot about what a great guy Grant is. He is especially inspiring because of his youth and talent. My thoughts are with him.

[gfweb]

Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1995 Feb;112(2):308-15

Talks about an elevated risk of oral cancer after 40 year exposure in kitchens cooking with fossil fuels or wood. The risk factor, depending on how they fool with the data is 2-3. In other words roughly double the risk after 40 years exposure.

Cavaet- this is just one paper from 12 yrs ago and I could find no others on medline. So it could all be untrue. It needs to be confirmed before being taken seriously.

The next question is what is the absolute risk that is doubled....probably on the order of 1 in 500 or so... maybe more. I'll try to find it.

Major risks for oral cancer are the obvious smoking and the less obvious one of uh...sexual practice. Many oral cancers have tumor causing wart viruses that are of the same general sort that cause cervical cancer.

It would be worth doing a really large study of cooks to see if there is any truth in this paper. A trade org and a medical school could team up to get it done.

[JFrillman24]

Talks about an elevated risk of oral cancer after 40 year exposure in kitchens cooking with fossil fuels or wood. 

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Not to mention, the chemicals used daily to clean scrub and degrease everything. I know we use this oven cleaner spray every night that when applied clears out the cooks around the area, and sends them gagging. One cook threw up after using it. But it does one hell of a job cleaning the ovens, so its a trade off. But then you gotta think, what the hell is this gonna do to me ten years down the line?

[gfweb]

OK...a rough estimate is 1 in 7500 people get oral or laryngeal cancer. So if 40 yrs in the kitchen doubles the risk, that number is halved to 1 in 3750 40 year cooks who will get it.

Still long odds.

Edited July 29, 2007 by gfweb (log)

[Jakea222]

Cancer can hit the people that ahve terrible lifestyles or people that have a clean life. My father in law was 52 with glioblastoma or brain cancer - non smoker - drank with me on the wine experimental nights - other than that no real reason. A wonderful mother 34 yrs old 2 kids and great life, daughter of one of them most prominent well known physicians where I grew up, was having dinner with his entire fmily and noticed a discoloration on her cheek of his daughter - she lived 3 months - died of oral cancer that spread like a wild fire - do certain exposures increase risk yep - but then you have the George Burns and the people of the birth date of 1900 and do everything and anything and they lived to 90 or 100 - one of the dishwashers uncles is 103 - so you never know

I wish him the power to not overextend during this very difficult time = as all of you know chefs don't tend to sit down very well and do nothing and the mental toll will be as bad as the rest of the treatments - he will be in my thoughts and prayers ---