Re: TMI and Lung Cancer

["John Moulder" <jmoulder@post.its.mcw.edu>]

>  a story this morning 
> (2/24/97) reporting on a study that claims to show excess lung 
> cancer deaths attributable to the "Cloud of high radiation" released 
> from the accident at 
> 3-Mile Island.  Anybody have any details on this one? 

Another example of "publish by press release".  The article appears to be in 
an issue of Environmental Health Perspectives that has not yet been received 
by subscribers (see just got the December issue last week).

So we are expected to react to this without being able to review the science.  
By the time we have had a chance to critique the study it will not be news.

What I know:
1)  There is no dosimetry.
2)  The definition of "exposed" is based on distance and wind direction.
3)  There may not be any adjustment for smoking or radon.
4)  The study claims that there may have been short high level releases that 
went undetected.  Do I need to comment of the plausibility of an exposure that 
could deliver 20-200 rem to a substantial geographic area without being 
noticed?
5)  None of the isotopes known to have been released are associated with lung 
cancer or leukemia
6)  The isotopes known to have been released would have caused thyroid cancer 
long before they caused lung cancer.

This looks like Sternglass-quality epidemiology.

And we wonder why the public is misinformed about radiation risks ):


John Moulder (jmoulder@its.mcw.edu)
Radiation Biology Group
Medical College of Wisconsin