No link between cancer, radar seen

[unhappycamper]

No link between cancer, radar seen
By Stephen Smith
Globe Staff / December 15, 2007

State disease investigators could find no evidence linking an Air Force radar system in Bourne to an unusually high number of bone cancer cases among Cape Cod children, according to a report released last night.

Seven Cape children were diagnosed with a rare cancer called Ewing's family of tumors between 1995 and 2004, more than three times the number that would be expected based on national estimates, environmental health specialists from the Department of Public Health found.

Families of the children approached the state health agency and asked it to conduct an investigation, paying particular attention to whether emissions from the PAVE PAWS early warning radar system might have played a role. Cape residents have expressed concern repeatedly about the potential danger of radar emissions from the Massachusetts Military Reservation, fearing that there was a cancer cluster.

The centerpiece of the state's investigation was an effort to measure emission levels at cancer patients' homes and compare those readings with measurements taken at comparable houses with no incidence of bone cancer. If the readings were significantly higher at the patients' homes, then that would provide a strong clue that the radar might be to blame.

Instead, there was no difference, according to tests performed by a company hired by the state. Three of the children diagnosed with bone cancer actually lived in areas with some of the lowest radar emission levels, said Suzanne Condon, an associate commissioner of public health who presides over the state agency's environmental health branch.


Rest of article at: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/12/15/no_link_between_cancer_radar_seen/



uhc comment: Women on Cape Cod have the highest incidence of breast cancer in the country --> http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/969/context/archive

[glowing]

1. This study was set to fail... Monitoring the amount of radiation and the

cancer patients is not going to take into account that each individual is going to respond differently to radiation. Some bodies will be able to fight off cancer cell growth...someone with a weaker immune system or with a history of cancer within the family would be more prone to getting cancer. We know that prolonged exposure to radiation can cause cancer. Some are luckier than others... This "state" finding used a deplorable method.. It is set to fail to find a link.

[glowing]

2. Also, did the study take into account the proximity of the school grounds

to the source of the radiation.. Children spend a lot of time at schools and various daycare centers for a large amount of their day... Just monitoring the homes is not good enough... A full individual diagnostic, including gene testing and family medical history is needed on each individual in the study, and each place the test subject spends the day is important.

[LiberalArkie]

3. Pave Paws operate at such lower frequencies than normal radar

Normal radar is up in the microwave range (like a microwave oven), Pave Paws operates around 420 and 450 MHz with an average effective radiated power of 150 kW. These frequencies are shared with Ham Radio, although at a greatly increased output power. But TV Channels 14 + operate in the UHF range also, but in the megawatt range.

So if Pave Paws caused cancer, then we had best shut down most of the tv transmitters.

[glowing]

4. Perhaps then it is something else in the area that they are experiencing..

Or they are being lied to... which I wouldn't put pass the govt... Could be something in their drinking water.. Whatever it is, something is happening, and if I lived there, I wouldn't rest until I found out why there is an increased rate in cancer.. Personally, if it was that bad, I'd move away from that area. Some may not have the option.