Re: trends in cancer

E. Ann Clark, Associate Professor (ACLARK@crop.uoguelph.ca)
Tue, 2 Dec 1997 05:38:31 EDT

Daniel and others: the statistics for incidence, mortality, etc. of
the various kinds of cancer are well covered in a recent
issue of Rachel's, which I cited in a recent talk given in Ohio
(posted under my URL below). Overall incidence has been climbing at
a rate of almost 1% a year for the last 45 years, if memory serves.
The trend in incidence and mortality varies among types of cancer,
with those known to be responsive to the endocrine system (some types
of breast cancer, prostate cancer, etc.) increasing at the fastest
rates.

Point well taken on the difficulty of proving a link between biocides
and cancer, but as noted in Benbrook's excellent text Pest Management
at the Crossroads, risk of cancer (based on epidemioloigcal and lab
animal studies, for the reasons you note) has been the driving force
behind the US pesticide regulatory system, and was the reason for
withdrawal of the most harmful biocides back in the 70's. For an
excellent and compelling review of the linkage between cancern and
biocides (and other modern sources), see Steingraber's new book
Living Downstream. Don't know why this book isn't getting more
profile. If we had all read it, we wouldn't be having this
discussion.

Of course, more recent evidence suggestst that the real risks of
biocides may well be other kinds of dysfunctions, as amply and
chillingly covered in the new book by Theo Colborn, Our Stolon
Future. Focusing unduly on cancer (recent high profile report by
environmental tox task force) allows these other risks to slide by.
Ann
ACLARK@crop.uoguelph.ca
Dr. E. Ann Clark
Associate Professor
Crop Science
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Phone: 519-824-4120 Ext. 2508
FAX: 519 763-8933
http://www.oac.uoguelph.ca/www/CRSC/faculty/eac.htm

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