[ RadSafe ] BBC article: Nuclear plants 'do not raise child cancerrisk' THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE BBC

[parthasarathy k s]

Dear Dr Brennan Mike,

This is nothing unusual. a few years ago, I  found that a reporter handling BBC's science desk read too much into a paper which showed extra mitochondrial DNA mutations in three generations of residents in the High Background Radiation Area (HBRA) in Kerala.

You can access the article which described the news story and related correspondence at:
 
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040903/science.htm#3

Occasionally, the authors also deliberately give scope to speculation.

I was hauled up for taking a stand that epidemiological studies around nuclear installations are by and large a public relations exercise!! Those familiar with the TV story on childhood leukemia in sellafield, the setting up of a committee to investigate it, the formation of COMARE and repetition of such studies in USA, canada, UK, France etc may hopefully agree with me.Canadian Nuclear safety Commissions study was released last month.

WE have to acrry on such studies because " people" want it!!

Warm regards
Parthasarathy




________________________________
 From: "Brennan, Mike (DOH)" <Mike.Brennan at DOH.WA.GOV>
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu> 
Sent: Friday, 13 September 2013, 22:23
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] BBC article: Nuclear plants 'do not raise child	cancerrisk'
 

The reporter who wrote and/or the editor who chose the quote to
highlight should be fired.  The quote they highlighted was, 

"The incidence of childhood leukaemia near nuclear installations in
Great Britain has been a concern ever since the 1980s "
End Quote 
Dr John Bithell,
Childhood Cancer Research Group

The full statement was, 

"The incidence of childhood leukaemia near nuclear installations in
Great Britain has been a concern ever since the 1980s when an excess of
cancer in young
 people near Sellafield was reported in a television
programme. 

"Since then, there have been conflicting reports in the UK and Europe as
to whether there is an increased incidence of childhood cancer near
nuclear power plants. 

"Our case-control study has considered the birth records for nearly
every case of childhood leukaemia born in Britain and, reassuringly, has
found no such correlation with proximity to nuclear power plants."

So on the highlighted quote the left off the part that said, in effect,
"This concern is not justified by the evidence."

Someone skimming the article would quite possibly come away believing
Dr. Bithell said exactly the opposite of what he actually meant to
convey. 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Dimiter Popoff
Sent: Friday, September 13, 2013 9:36 AM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: [ RadSafe ] BBC article: Nuclear plants 'do not raise child
cancerrisk'


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24063286

Nuclear plants 'do not raise child cancer risk'            

Children living near nuclear power plants do not have an increased risk
of developing leukaemia, a study says.  
----

Not sure if of any interest but I stumbled across it on the BBC website
and felt like posting it. Does not speak much to me, and my feeling is
that to most
 listmembers it will be like announcing the discovery of the
American continent in 2013 but I guess I had to do something while
finishing my coffee and getting to work :-) .

Dimiter

------------------------------------------------------
Dimiter Popoff, TGI            http://www.tgi-sci.com
------------------------------------------------------

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