QLD_Cancer_Cluster

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Tuesday 18 December 2007

RAPID ROUNDUP

Cancer cluster at Qld fire station - an expert responds

There are currently reports that the Queensland Health Department is investigating a possible cancer cluster at Atherton fire station with up to six current and former firefighters have been diagnosed with colon cancer or brain tumours at the Atherton fire station.

Feel free to use this quote in your stories. If you need assistance tracking down an expert in this area, contact the AusSMC on 08 8207 7415 or email us.

Associate Professor Lin Fritschi from the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research. Lin is a cancer epidemiologist, with a particular interest in occupational causes of cancer.

“There's a lot of concern in the community about apparent cancer clusters and it is appropriate to take reports such as this one in Atherton seriously. The community worry is that something in a certain place is causing cancer in the people who work or live there. However, cancer is a common disease, and so apparent groupings of people with cancer will occur quite often just by chance. There are a few clues to whether there is further investigation needed - firstly if the cancers are all one type, especially if they are an unusual type, and secondly, if there are more cancers than would be expected in a group of people of that age.”

Click here for a useful description of cancer clusters (external link).

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