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John Jacobus writes:
> However, there are events
that trigger a psychological response in some people that does not go
away.
>...The trauma is that the
fear response does not go away, and interferes with normal life.
My (layman's) theory is that this
kind of chronic fear could cause a general depression of the body systems, which
may lower the efficiency of cellular repair processes, leading to incomplete or
no repair of some DNA damage (which as we know is being caused many times each
day in each cell, by many agents, radiation being probably one of the very minor
players). If true, it suggests that irresponsible fear mongering over radiation
may be responsible for far more cancers than any fallout or nuclear plant
releases, even using the LNT model. If this theory is at all credible,
I see major class action suits in the future against major media
organizations and well funded anti-nuke groups by cancer victims and their
families, similar to those currently being brought against the tobacco industry.
We could develop probability of causation tables based on age, gender, TV
viewing habits, etc. Hey, who's to say that stress induced by CBS and/or
Greenpeace did NOT cause my cancer? I want a sack of money now,
please.
Mike
Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP
Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences Vanderbilt University 1161 21st Avenue South Nashville, TN 37232-2675 Phone (615) 343-0068 Fax (615) 322-3764 e-mail michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu |