"Maybe the carcinogens that cause cancer are in the ductal fluid. Maybe
that's where we should be looking for pesticides, for example," Love says.

When British researchers recently tested human breast milk samples, they
discovered 40% contained genotoxic agents-- compounds capable of damaging
DNA and causing mutations in a common bacterium. The researchers are trying
to determine what's causing the gene-damaging activity. "It's really like
looking for a needle in a haystack," said Luise Wheat, of the Institute of
Cancer Research in Surrey, U.K.

But one culprit appears to be heterocyclic amine, a food mutagen produced
from cooking meat at high temperatures and that can cause breast tumors in
animals.

"Frying, broiling, char-grilling your foods, the scum left in the frying
pan. It has all been shown to contain high concentrations of these
compounds," said Ms. Wheat, who presented her findings at the meeting of the
American Association for Cancer Research.

Complete article at:

http://www.nationalpost.com/artslife/story.html?f=/stories/20010416/534333.h
tml