Re: NIH: Electric fields pose cancer risk

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

> [NB98.26-18] A panel of US experts has concluded that electricity pylons and
> power lines do pose a cancer risk. After 10 days of discussions and
> consideration of evidence, 19 out of 28 members of a panel of the National
> Institutes of Health voted that electric fields should be considered possible
> human carcinogens; eight of the dissenters were undecided about whether a link
> exists. (Independent, 26 June, p7) 

the panel was asked whether power-frequency fields were carcinogenic.
Under their rules, the possibilities were limited to:
- proven human carcinogen
- probable human carcinogen
- possible human carcinogen
- proven non-carcingenic in humans
- unclassifiable

The panel unanimously voted that power frequency fields were not probable
carcinogens, but most also felt that it was impossible to prove that
something was absolutely not a carcinogen, so they were left with
"possible carcinogen".  

"Not blood likely" was not a choice that the panel was given (:

Since there is no test, or finite set of tests, that can prove that an
agent is not carcinogenic (at any level or under any conditions),
everything that is not a "proven carcinogen" is a "possible carcinogen:.

The press appears to have missed thus subtely.