Cancer cluster among police detachment personnel.
An apparent cancer cluster at a police detachment in a coastal British Columbia community was investigated. Police personnel suspected that the detachment building may have been a factor. Police personnel (20 current and 154 previous employees) associated with the detachment since 1963, the date of occupancy, were traced. After all 174 cases were contacted directly, or next of kin in case of death, a total of 16 cases of cancer or suspected cancers were reported. Of these 16, eight cases of cancer were confirmed through a cancer registry. Cancers included testicular, cervical, colon, skin (including melanoma), leukemias and lymphomas with an age range of diagnosis between 22 and 44 years. There was no evidence for an underlying event, factor or condition in the police building that could be attributed to the observed cancer cases. A possible association between these cancers and the use of police traffic radar is discussed.
van Netten
Christiaan
C
Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, Division of Public, Occupational and Environmental Health, University of British Columbia, James Mather Building, 5804 Fairview Avenue, V6T 1Z3, Vancouver, BC, Canada. cvnetten@interchange.ubc.ca
Brands
Ralph H
RH
Hoption Cann
Stephen A
SA
Spinelli
John J
JJ
Sheps
Sam B
SB
D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016495:Police; D011825:Radar; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment