Cancer cases in the environment of aces still unclear

Connection between nuclear waste storage and cancer remains unclear. The questioning of cancer patients continues in the environment of the aces.

10/03/2011

The elucidation of the increased number of cancers in the vicinity of the ailing nuclear waste disposal site Asse could not be completed yet. The responsible working group announced at its meeting yesterday that further interviews were necessary in order to arrive at reliable statements.

After the end of last year, the Epidemiological Cancer Registry of Lower Saxony (EKN) had noted a significant increase in the number of cancers (especially leukemia in men, thyroid cancer in women) in the environment of the former salt mine Asse, was convened by the federal, state and county Wolfenbüttel working group with the Enlightenment commissioned a possible connection between the cancers and the nuclear waste storage. However, too few respondents participated in the interviews in order to make a valid statement, the working group said at its Wednesday meeting.

Connection between nuclear waste storage and cancer unexplained
The working group, which includes representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Environment, the Epidemiological Cancer Registry of Lower Saxony (EKN), the State Health Office and the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, initiated a comprehensive survey to examine the individual cancer risk of those affected and a possible impact of the nuclear waste disposal facility , However, the presentation of the results disappointed on Wednesday. To clarify the total of 47 cases of leukemia, lymphoma and thyroid cancer in the integrated municipality of Asse, the results so far could make no contribution, since so far too few of those involved in the survey have participated, the working group announced yesterday. Although 164 citizens of the integrated municipality of Asse had registered and 150 of them answered the questions on the individual risk of cancer such as the place of work, the place of residence and the family risk factors, of the 47 cancer patients, only 15 took part in the survey. „At least 20 should report to make a scientifically sound statement“, demanded Gabriele Windus from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs. The cancers are recorded anonymously by the EKN, so that a direct cover letter to those affected is not possible and the working group relies on a voluntary participation.

District Administrator calls on affected cancer patients to participate
In particular „those who live in the integrated municipality of Asse and are suffering from leukemia or lymphoma and thyroid cancer“, are invited to participate in the survey, said District Jörg Röhmann (SPD). Since some of those affected may have died, the working group also relied on the support of the doctors and will involve them more with an extra information event, Röhmann continues. The survey will continue until sufficient leukemia, lymphoma and thyroid cancer patients have reported. Given that 39 new cancers were detected in the velvet community last year alone, there should not be any particular problem in finding enough people to answer the questions. However, almost one-third of all cancer patients from the Asse community have already taken part in the survey, so that the public rightly demands first results.

Increased cancer rate in the environment of aces chance?
Although evaluating the SPD district administrator Röhmann the fact that there is no spatial accumulation of cancer cases within the integrated community Asse, as positive, but he could not rule out a connection with the ailing nuclear waste storage. The Federal Government, which had already stated before the first investigation, that a connection between the increased cancer rate with the nuclear waste disposal was excluded or the increased occurrence of cancer in the integrated municipality of Asse was a statistical coincidence. The Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment, with Hans-Heinrich Sander, who is better known as the friend of nuclear power, confirmed from the outset that 39 new cases of cancer last year represent an unusual accumulation in the vicinity of the ailing nuclear waste storage facility. However, public institutions have apparently not been willing to make a clearer statement. The fact that even the working group can not present any helpful results after three months fits well into the picture.

Association with cancer officially always denied
For whenever a possible connection has been discussed in the past, such as between leukemia-related diseases (especially in children) and nuclear power plants, the result of the official investigations was that there was no connection at the end. Although renowned scientists had previously unequivocally documented this scientifically. Researchers at the German Cancer Registry have recently shown that children close to the age of four are at higher risk of leukemia the closer they live to a nuclear power plant. In the period from 1980 to 2003 were within a radius of five kilometers to the German reactors a total of 37 children suffering from leukemia, whereas in the statistical average, only 17 cases would have been expected, the experts said at that time. Neither the Federal Office for Radiation Protection nor politics drew any conclusions from this - on the contrary: nuclear power plants in Germany today have much greater support in the Federal Government than they did in 2007.

Cancer patients should contribute to the education
Whether there is an increased risk of cancer in the vicinity of the nuclear waste disposal site Asse should be clarified as soon as possible in the interests of the population, so that the citizens of the integrated municipality do not unknowingly daily expose themselves to the risk of cancer. So it is extremely unsatisfactory for the inhabitants, that so far no results are available. But here, too, the local citizens are encouraged to participate more in the Enlightenment. Those affected should urgently take part in the survey in order to gather the 20 additional participants for a scientifically sound statement and possibly to help clarify the possible connection between the cancers and the ailing nuclear waste storage. (Fp)

Read about aces and cancers:
Coincidence of the aces cancer rate has not been proven
Ministry of the Environment: aces cancer rate pure coincidence
Leukemia risk due to ailing aces plant?
Aces: Increased number of leukemia disorders
Nuclear waste storage Asse: AG checks increased cancer rates