Re: Radon therapy[Radiation]/Aflatoxin cancer risk comparison

[FIELDRW@aol.com]

In a message dated 10/19/98 8:44:34 AM Central Daylight Time,
RADPROJECT@aol.com writes:

<< Accordingly, this highlights how difficult it is to tease out the effects,
if
 any,  of very low levels of radiation exposure in a study of any
 cohort for excess cancer risk.
 
 Stewart Farber
 Public Health Sciences
 radproject@usa.net
 (401) 727-4947 >>

Stewart,

I agree that confounders must be considered whenever possible in epidemiologic
studies.  This points out the importance of performing studies that collect
information from the individual rather than summary data from a region, which
is often used in ecologic studies.

  There is little evidence to support that aflatoxin causes cancers at sites
other than the liver, kidney or colon.  So, it would not be considered a
confounder if you were performing a study looking at lung cancer in
individuals who frequent radon spas.

There are numerous carcinogens in nature including other microorganisms such
as sterigmatocystein, luteoskyrin, grisefulvin, adriamycin, elaiomycin,
azaserine, etc.  Plants can also be carcinogenic.  Some examples include
tobacco, cycasin, coltsfoot, mushroom toxins, safrole, calamus oil, betel nut,
bracken fern and others.
However, peanut butter is often the one most people reference.

Regards, Bill Field
bill-field@uiowa.edu

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