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Re: multiple myeloma



RADSAFERS,

         One of my school texts , "The Leukemias: Etiology, 
Pathophysiology, and Treatment , J,Rebuck et al, lists three known causes 
of leukemia, they are heredity, benzol, and ionizing radiations.  According 
to this text, spontaneous Myeloid leukemia is considered to be a disease of 
the middle span of life, and while it is more prevalent in the affluent 
than the poor, and in Caucasians more than any other race, it affects males 
and females equally.  As most of you know, in Japan after Hiroshima and 
Nagasaki there was a peak incidence of leukemia in 1950 - 1952.  Of the 92 
cases (at that time), 39 were myeloid leukemia and only 1 was chronic 
lymphatic leukemia - the remainder were acute and subacute leukemias.
         Not too many years ago, San Onofre Generating station had a former 
NRC inspector sue the station - her lawyers maintained that her exposure at 
the plant (I forget now, but I believe it was under 100 mrem) was 
responsible for her contracting the disease - even though it occurs 
spontaneously in the worlds population and statistically seems to run in 
some families.  Perhaps one of them subscribed to RADSAFE can help out my 
recollections...

         Joel Baumbaugh (baumbaug@nosc.mil)
         SSC-SD

At 04:36 PM 04/10/2000 -0500, you wrote:
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>The first posting on this topic today indicated that only the radiation
>exposure could be quantified.  Exposure to toxic chemicals and metals could
>not be quantified.  Therefore, for the study to achieve the (desired?)
>result, radiation as the only cause paradigm had to be evoked.  So, what
>other chemicals or metals could these workers have been exposed and have any
>of them been shown to cause the same type of cancer?  Perhaps, radiation is
>only a surrogate, linked by occurrence but not by causal effect.  If you
>can't quantify exposure to other potential initiators, ascribing the cancer
>solely to radiation is bogus and not credible.  Have the authors considered
>synergistic effects?  It seems to me that synergy among all of the other
>potential villans in the chemical/metal exposures should be considered.  It
>is so easy to recite the "deady radiation" mantra because it ..(you can fill
>in the blank with your own favorite ending to this thought).   I will wait
>further judgment until I can read the original article but I am becoming
>leary of all of these new discoveries out of NC.  Didn't the same group
>reanalyze the ORNL workers a while back, say about 2 - 3 years ago?
>
>Just my own thoughts
>
>Kjell A. Johansen
>Wisconsin Electric Power Company
>Milwaukee
>kjell.johansen@wepco.com
>
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>multiple myeloma
>
>The first posting on this topic today = indicated that only the radiation 
>exposure could be quantified.  = Exposure to toxic chemicals and metals 
>could not be quantified.  = Therefore, for the study to achieve the 
>(desired?) result, radiation as = the only cause paradigm had to be 
>evoked.  So, what other = chemicals or metals could these workers have 
>been exposed and have any = of them been shown to cause the same type of 
>cancer?  Perhaps, = radiation is only a surrogate, linked by occurrence 
>but not by causal = effect.  If you can't quantify exposure to other 
>potential = initiators, ascribing the cancer solely to radiation is bogus 
>and not = credible.  Have the authors considered synergistic effects?  = 
>It seems to me that synergy among all of the other potential villans in = 
>the chemical/metal exposures should be considered.  It is so easy = to 
>recite the "deady radiation" mantra because it ..(you can = fill in the 
>blank with your own favorite ending to this = thought).   I will wait 
>further judgment until I can read the = original article but I am becoming 
>leary of all of these new = discoveries out of NC.  Didn't the same group 
>reanalyze the ORNL = workers a while back, say about 2 - 3 years ago?
>
>Just my own thoughts
>
>Kjell A. Johansen
>Wisconsin Electric Power = Company
>Milwaukee
>kjell.johansen@wepco.com
>------_=_NextPart_001_01BFA334.55061292--
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