Cancer articles worth attention

Two interesting findings this week from the great wide web:

Reitterating what most cancer researchers already know, Malcolm Gladwell in The New York Times outlines why there may never be "the magic bullet" or the single solution to treating and curing cancer. I think the broad disparity in the progress we have made in breast cancer vs. melanoma illuminates this scientific fact quite clearly in the clinic. The other clinical clue is how differently two patients with the same pathology, stage and prior treatments can respond so differently to the same treatment.
We are constantly being exposed to carcinogens, a fact which this article notes, "has energized the activists." Researchers make an excellent point that this does not exculpate us from making necessary lifestyle changes that account for far more cancers than any one chemical — that is to say, stop smoking, get moving and maintain a healthy weight. But it is uncomfortable to think about carcinogens all around us, all the time. It makes me think of an acquaintance who spent extra money to paint their house with VOC (volatile organic compounds) free paint, and then promptly covered their furniture in off-gassing plastics, seemingly negating any help from the VOC-free paint.