Letter to the BMJ regarding60 seconds on . . . cancer
"60 seconds on . . . cancer" would have been much better if it was 60 seconds longer: it has ignored the great epidemiological studies emanating from Montreal, Canada in which it was shown that traffic-related air pollution significantly increases the incidence of both breast (Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Is Associated with Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Montreal, Canada: A Case–Control Study. Dan L. Crouse, Mark S. Goldberg, Nancy A. Ross, Hong Chen, and France Labrèche https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20923746) and prostate cancer (Traffic-related air pollution and prostate cancer risk: a case–control study in Montreal, Canada Marie-Élise Parent, Mark S Goldberg, Dan L Crouse,Nancy A Ross, Hong Chen, Marie-France Valois, Alexandre Liautaud https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23531743.
While learning that “two thirds of cancer causing mutations arise from copying errors when cells divide” is interesting, it would contribute much more if we were able to determine why such errors occur. The Montreal studies suggest that “Such errors are [not necessarily] unavoidable”, and that if society applied itself to further epidemiological studies, we might be able virtually to eliminate cancer.
Ken Ranney, M.D., FRCPC, FCAP, FCACB, Pathologist and Clinical Biochemist, retired.
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
K9J 6H6
Rapid Response:
Re: 60 seconds on . . . cancer
Letter to the BMJ regarding60 seconds on . . . cancer
"60 seconds on . . . cancer" would have been much better if it was 60 seconds longer: it has ignored the great epidemiological studies emanating from Montreal, Canada in which it was shown that traffic-related air pollution significantly increases the incidence of both breast (Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Is Associated with Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Montreal, Canada: A Case–Control Study. Dan L. Crouse, Mark S. Goldberg, Nancy A. Ross, Hong Chen, and France Labrèche https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20923746) and prostate cancer (Traffic-related air pollution and prostate cancer risk: a case–control study in Montreal, Canada Marie-Élise Parent, Mark S Goldberg, Dan L Crouse,Nancy A Ross, Hong Chen, Marie-France Valois, Alexandre Liautaud https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23531743.
While learning that “two thirds of cancer causing mutations arise from copying errors when cells divide” is interesting, it would contribute much more if we were able to determine why such errors occur. The Montreal studies suggest that “Such errors are [not necessarily] unavoidable”, and that if society applied itself to further epidemiological studies, we might be able virtually to eliminate cancer.
Ken Ranney, M.D., FRCPC, FCAP, FCACB, Pathologist and Clinical Biochemist, retired.
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
K9J 6H6
Competing interests: No competing interests