Samuel Seymour Epstein (April 13, 1926^[1] – March 18, 2018)^[2] was a physician and, at the time of his death, professor emeritus of environmental and occupational health at the School of Public Health of the University of Illinois at Chicago.^[3] He is known for his contributions on avoidable causes of cancer, for which he was given the Right Livelihood Award in 1998.^[4] His papers are held at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland.^[5]

Biography

Epstein was born in England on April 13, 1926, to Isidore and Gertrude Epstein^[2] and emigrated to the United States in 1960. For ten years he held a position at the Children's Cancer Research Foundation and Harvard University. He then became a distinguished professor at Case Western Reserve University before moving to the University of Illinois in 1976.^[6] In addition to 270 scientific articles, he published 12 books, and was active in publicizing claims on the carcinogenic properties of chlordane pesticides,^[7] growth hormones in milk,^[8] nitrosamines in bacon,^[9] saccharin,^[10] beverage preservatives,^[11] and other food additives.^[12] His work drew criticism from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, which claimed that his book The Safe Shopper's Bible misleads consumers by labeling safe products as carcinogenic.^[13] He was a strong critic of the American Cancer Society.

Books

• Epstein, S. S.; Legator, M., eds. (1971), The Mutagenicity of Pesticides, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
• Epstein, S. S., ed. (1971), Drugs of Abuse—Genetic and Other Chronic Non-Psychiatric Hazards, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
• Epstein, S. S.; Grundy, D., eds. (1974), The Legislation of Product Safety. Consumer Health and Product Hazards. Vol. I. Chemicals, Electronic Products, Radiation, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. Vol. II. Cosmetics and Drugs, Pesticides, Food Additives, MIT Press, 1976.
• Epstein, S. S. (1978), The Politics of Cancer, San Francisco: Sierra Club Books. Abridged Japanese translation, 1978. Revised and expanded edition, Anchor/Doubleday Press, New York, 1979. The Politics of Cancer, Revisited, East Ridge Press, Fremont Center, N.Y., 1998.
• Epstein, S. S.; Pope, C.; Brown, L. (1982), Hazardous Waste in America, San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
• Doyal, L.; Epstein, S. S. (1983), Cancer in Britain: The Politics of Prevention, London: Pluto Press.
• Steinman, D.; Epstein, S. S. (1995), The Safe Shoppers' Bible, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Epstein, S. S.; Steinman, D. (1997), The Breast Cancer Prevention Program, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 2nd ed. (with Levert), Macmillan, 1998.
• Epstein, S. S. (2001), Got (Genetically Engineered) Milk! The Monsanto Milk Wars Handbook (E-book), New York: Seven Stories Press.
• Epstein, S. S. (2001), Unreasonable Risk. How to Avoid Cancer from Cosmetics and Personal Care Products, Environmental Toxicology. 2nd ed., Environmental Toxicology, 2005. Japanese ed., Lyon-sha Publishing, 2006.
• Epstein, S. S. (2005), Cancer-Gate: How to Win the Losing Cancer War, Baywood Publishing.
• Epstein, S. S. (2006), What's In Your Milk?, Trafford Publishing.
• Epstein, S. S. (2009), Toxic Beauty, BenBella Books.
• Epstein, S. S. (2011), NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE and AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: Criminal Indifference to Cancer Prevention and Conflicts of Interest, Xlibris, Corp.