Re: Breast Cancer Study

[hflong@postoffice.pacbell.net]

Yes, John,

I believe that the Canadian women with breast fluorscopy had better care than

the general population - but had been worse in nutrition, exercise etc or would

not have gotten TB (which was declining in incidence before antibiotics).

However, my inferences about radiation effect are from Pollycove's graph

comparing mid-range with both higher and lower fluoroscopy exposures. They were

potentially different in other respects - a reason for placebo-controlled study.



Also you are correct, I think, in that British radiologists before 1950 were

different from those after in other ways than exposure (although Cameron makes

other good points there and his shipyard nuclear worker study is the most

impressive human hormesis study I've seen).



We still need a placebo-controlled study to be "definitive".



Howard Long



"Jacobus, John (OD/ORS)" wrote:



> Howard,

> Two comments.

>

> 1.  Is it possible that the study of Canadian women having fluoro was biased

> because the subjects were patients who were receiving better medical care?

> Diet? medications?  What was the control group?  Could it be something like

> a "healthy worker effect?"

>

> 2.  Are you suggesting the that British radiologist study that John Cameron

> likes to quote could also be flawed?

>

> -- John

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: hflong@postoffice.pacbell.net

> [mailto:hflong@postoffice.pacbell.net]

> Sent: Saturday, June 22, 2002 2:38 AM

> To: Thomas Jones

> Cc: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

> Subject: Re: Breast Cancer Study

> . . .

>

> Animal and ecologic studies -like Canadian women having more fluoroscopy

> (for

> TB pneumothorax) having had LESS breast cancer - suggest to me that

> mammography actually reduces breast cancer risk.

> . . .

>

> Technicians prior to 1950 are not good controls for those after 1960 because

> Lubin's ."subsequent decline in risk" was associated with  more enlightened

> working conditions, and selection of technicians with less risk - as well as

> with lower dose.

> . . .

> ************************************************************************

> You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

> send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

> radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

> You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/



************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/