|
Residents of Grantsville are to be commended for
their recent efforts to gather hard data to support their requests for
further study of the cancer rates in their town.
Alarmed by what seemed to be unduly high incidents of cancer in their
community, some residents conducted a survey of half the town's
households. Their findings indicate higher rates of cancer than those
reported in a 1995 state study. The disparity between the two studies
is great enough and the residents' approach was sound enough for their
findings to be given due consideration.
The state's study - conducted by the Utah Bureau of Epidemiology and
the Tooele County Health Department - indicated dramatic increases in
some types of cancer from 1972-1992. It found that rates in
Grantsville for cervical cancer has increased 150 percent during that
time period. Prostate cancer 37 increased percent and breast cancer 35
percent.
That information takes on new importance when compared with national
statistics. The American Cancer Society, citing 30-year trends from
1960-62 to 1990-92, reports that national rates for cervical cancer
dropped 67 percent during that time period. Prostate cancer increased
29 percent nationally and breast cancer increased just 4 percent.
Given their proximity to Dugway Proving Grounds, mineral-processing
companies and waste incinerators, Grantsville residents have good
reason to be concerned about external causes of cancer.
Government health officials owe it to the citizens of Grantsville to
take a serious look at the results of the residents' survey. This
information could add enough new information to warrant a more
exhaustive study by the state. |
