Re: Newspaper article on Plutonium

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

On Mon, 15 Sep 1997, Brian Gaulke wrote:

> It's my understanding that the incidence rates of many types of cancer have 
> increased significantly over the last few decades.  To my knowledge no 
> satisfactory explanations have been found.  Under these circumstances how 
> meaningful is it to say "no increase in stochastic effects have ever been 
> detected or reported among the peoples of the world from this event"?  How can 
> a contribution from fallout, including plutonium, be ruled out?

	There has *NOT* been an increase in age-adjusted cancer rates with
the exception of lung cancer which, it is universally agreed, was due to
increased smoking. I believe ACSH has a booklet on this subject.