Women washing their laundry in a river next to San Carlos, the village with one of the highest incidences of cancer in the whole of Ecuador. Cancer rates there are about three times higher than the average in the country. In women, the occurrence of breast and ovarian cancer has increased most notably, in men prostate cancer. The river, which is contaminated with waste water dumped directly by the Sacha Sur oil drilling station located about two kilometers upstream, is the only source of water for the local population, supplies them with drinking water and is used for washing and bathing.