Re: Why study baby teeth?

[Neon John <johngd@bellsouth.net>]

BLHamrick@aol.com wrote:

> The fact that the clusters are "recognized" really has nothing to do with
> whether there's a single, identifiable cause or not.  Clusters exist, as has
> been pointed out, as an artifact of the statistical nature of cancer
> incidence.  One can "identify" a cluster, as in "wow, that's a weird
> aberration," without ever being able to connect it to some causative
> factor...In fact, I would expect that to happen...

I wouldn't even call it an aberration.  More accurately an
interesting artifact.  Of course, to the government, the minor
matter of science doesn't matter.  Take California. (please!!)  I
get some measure of satisfaction when I use a product that "Is known
to the state of California to cause cancer." Must be wonderful to
live in such a deterministic wonderland.

> 
> It's my personal opinion that genetic "defects," causing certain
> sensitivities to cancer-inducers are the far more likely culprit for clusters
> in small, low-transient communities...but that's just my crazy theory.

Bingo.  Like Hank Hickam of "Rocket Boys" fame (rocket scientist who
escaped from the coal fields of Kentucky to end up at NASA), my wife
escaped from the hills of N. Georgia to become educated and
accomplished in the outside world.  Until the freeway came through,
there was practically no traffic to or from her community.  Every
single female on both sides of her family who has died has died of
breast cancer, along with most of the female neighbors.  Yes, it's
scary and the "cancer cluster" is community-wide and the cause is a
100+ years of inbreeding.  Oh, I know it would be more profitable
for us to blame it on some evil industrial cause (problem is finding
any industry in the area :-) but intellectual honesty precludes
this.  Too bad that doesn't apply to the other side.

John
-- 
John De Armond
johngdSPAMNOT@bellsouth.net
http://personal.bellsouth.net/~johngd/
Neon John's Custom Neon
Cleveland, TN
"Bendin' Glass 'n Passin' Gas"
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