parnass@ihuxz.ATT.COM (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) (01/06/88)
In article <1077@kodak.UUCP>, ornitz@kodak.UUCP (barry ornitz) writes: > > In yesterday's newspaper, I noticed with great interest an article entitled > "Link suggested between cancer, electromagnetic fields." > > The article had the byline of the Associated Press, Tacoma, WA. It was > stated in the article that "amateur radio operators in two states appear to > die at abnormally high rates from several forms of cancer... Ham radio operators getting cancer - sound familiar? In 1988, the press is repeating the same story published 3 years ago. Here is the New York Times article as posted in 1985: | From postnews Sat May 11 17:47:17 1985 | Subject: Radio Hams Prone to Leukemia? - new study cited | Newsgroups: net.ham-radio | Distribution: net | | x | HAM RADIOS AND LEUKEMIA | | reprinted from the New York Times | | "Statistics turned up by Dr. Samuel Milham Jr., an epi- | demiologist for Washington State, suggest that ham | radio operators may be nearly twice as prone to | leukemia as the rest of the population." | | "Reporting in a recent issue of The Lancet, Dr. Milham | presented the results of a survey of more than 1,900 | amateur radio operators in the states of Washington and | California who died from 1971 to 1983. After obtaining | death certificate information for 1,691 of the sub- | jects, he discovered that 24 had died from various | types of leukemia. The expected number of leukemia | victims in a suitable matched control group would have | been 12.6. The incidence of lymphatic and monocytic | leukemias was not higher among the radio hobbyists than | normal, but myeloid and unspecified leukemias showed | sharp increases." | | "Dr. Milham noted that in 1982 he had presented evi- | dence of a link between leukemia and exposure to | electrical and/or magnetic fields. His latest study, | he said, offers 'some further support for the | hypothesis that electromagnetic fields are carcino- | genic.'" | | "In a separate study reported in The Lancet, government | researchers in New Zealand found the leukemia rate | unduly high for occupations involving exposure to the | electrical and magnetic fields associated with alter- | nating current. Comparing 546 male leukemia victims | with 2,184 men selected as controls, the group found | the statistics 'generally support the suggestion that | electrical workers are at increased risk of leukemia.'" -- ===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-===-=== Bob Parnass, Bell Telephone Laboratories - ihnp4!ihuxz!parnass - (312)979-5414
feg@clyde.ATT.COM (Forrest Gehrke) (01/06/88)
In article <2519@ihuxz.ATT.COM>, parnass@ihuxz.ATT.COM (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) writes: > In article <1077@kodak.UUCP>, ornitz@kodak.UUCP (barry ornitz) writes: > > > > In yesterday's newspaper, I noticed with great interest an article entitled > > > "Link suggested between cancer, electromagnetic fields." > > > > The article had the byline of the Associated Press, Tacoma, WA. It was > > stated in the article that "amateur radio operators in two states appear to > > die at abnormally high rates from several forms of cancer... > > > Ham radio operators getting cancer - sound familiar? In > 1988, the press is repeating the same story published 3 > years ago. > > Here is the New York Times article as posted in 1985: I am glad you posted this, as I remembered the NYT article but didn't have it at hand. Why is it that stories like this have several lives? It's the same with the recurring story that video terminals are the cause of stillbirths for women. If repeated often enough it seems these stories finally gain credence, regardless of any other surrounding circumstances that might account for the real causes. Actually, I think these kind of stories play to an anti-technology strain of mindlessness that always lies just beneath the surface of any civilization. The press, instead of encouraging it, should spend some time on education. Forrest Gehrke k2bt