Subject:  NCI Release New Powerline Study (R)
Date:     Tue, 1 Jul 1997 184545 -0500 (CDT)
From:     Emrall@aol.com
To:       Multiple recipients of list <emf-l@mail.llion.org>
--------------------------------------------------

July 1, 1997

Alchemy At It's Best
              New England Journal of Medicine To Release Powerline Study
July
3rd

    A new childhood leukemia/powerline study, to be published July 3rd in
The
New England Journal of Medicine, rather than spelling the death knell to EMF
research that the editorial accompanying the study demands, acknowledges in
no less than four places, a statistically significant increase in acute
lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children exposed to powerline magnetic
fields
in excess of 3 mG.

    RESIDENTIAL EXPOSURE TO MAGNETIC FIELDS AND ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA
IN CHILDREN  is a positive study showing an increase in the development of
ALL in children exposed to powerline magnetic fields, masquerading as a
negative study as a result of the National Cancer Institute's negative spin
on the study's findings.  The National Cancer Institute's mantra of "EMF
research should stop here" does a disservice to the public who look to it
for
honest reporting of research findings, not slanted editorializing.

    The Linet study, billed by the National Cancer Institute as "The most
comprehensive study ever done on this much-debated topic",  falls short of
its billing as the study does not approach the thoroughness of the earlier
Swedish studies and in fact, one significant flaw in the Linet study is the
protocol whereby the powerline magnetic fields are measured in homes 2 years
after the onset of ALL, whereas the Swedish studies measured the exposure
levels during the crucial latent period and the onset of first exposure,
clearly providing more accurate statistics.

    The authors have chosen to declare their findings negative when in fact,
the study shows a doubling of ALL in children exposed to 3 mG powerline
magnetic fields.

    And then, of course, there is the editorial authored by Edward W.
Campion, M.D. that accomapined the Linet study in The New England Journal of
Medicine.  Dr. Campion's slanted editorial, gross miscalculations and
misstatements would be ludicrous, if childhood leukemia were not so very
serious and so very devastating.

    Dr. Campion writes "Even directly under high-voltage transmission lines,
the magnetic field is only 3 to 10 Mg, which is less than that in an
electric
railway car and much weaker that the magnetic fields close to my head when I
use an electric razor."  "This statement alone is evidence that the man
knows
not whereof he speaks" advises award winning author Paul Brodeur.  Brodeur
continued "the magnetic fields under a powerline are anywhere from 30 to 100
mG and oft times from 300 to 1,000 mG.  Not the 3 to 10 mG Dr. Campion
alleges.  Further, children do not make a habit of sleeping in electric
railway cars, nor do they keep an electric razor beside their cribs.  The
Linet study addresses chronic twenty-four hour a day involuntary magnetic
field exposure from powerlines, not the two minute a day voluntary exposure
that it may take Dr. Campion to shave with his electric razor."

    "I suggest," continues Brodeur, "that parents would do well to distrust
the National Cancer Institute and take positive steps to protect their
children from exposure to powerline magnetic fields.  The new Linet study
clearly shows a statistically significant increase in the development of
early childhood leukemia in children who live in close proximity to electric
powerlines.  Don't put your children's lives in the 'safe hands' of
government arrogance."

    EMF-L subscribers should be aware that the National Cancer Institute
will
be holding a background briefing on the Linet study from 10:00 -11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, July 2nd at the Natcher Building Conference Center, Conference
Room F at 45 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD.  For further information on the
background briefing, call the NCI press office at (301) 496-6641.

   The NCI Media Advisory advises that Martha S. Linet, M.D. of NCI's
Radiation Epidemiology Branch will present the results of the study at the
background briefing session.

    The new Linet study is sure to be headline material in the next fews
days
as industry and government grab hold of NCI's spin and call the issue dead.
 It is important to remind our media that the only thing dead about this
issue, is the children living too close to overhead powerlines.
------
Cathy Bergman
The EMR Alliance


Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.feb.se/EMF-L/EMF-L.html