[ RadSafe ] BBC Reports "Nuclear workers' cancer risk rise

[Otto G. Raabe]

At 06:50 AM 6/30/2005, Bernard Cohen wrote:

>>Just under 200 died from leukaemias, and 6,519 from other cancers. The 
>>researchers say, that from their evidence, 1 to 2% of deaths from cancer 
>>among workers in this study may be attributable to radiation.
>
>       ---The statistical uncertainty (one standard deviation) is the 
> square root of 6519 which is 81, or  1.2% of the result. So this evidence 
> is essentially meaningless

Yes, but they only say "may be attributable". They don't say "are 
attributable". Their claim is based on finding a significant slope to the 
linear dose-response relationship fit over all dose groups.

Otto


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Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
Center for Health & the Environment
(Street Address: Bldg. 3792, Old Davis Road)
University of California, Davis, CA 95616
E-Mail: ograabe at ucdavis.edu
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