Evaluation of published studies analyzing the association of carcinogenesis with exposure to magnetic fields. Final report
This report contains assessments of two studies: (1) Wertheimer and Leeper, Electrical Wiring Configurations and Childhood Cancer, American Journal of Epidemiology, 1979; and (2) Fulton, Cobb, Preble, Leone, and Foreman, Electrical Wiring Configurations and Childhood Leukemia in Rhode Island, American Journal of Epidemiology, 1980. Wertheimer and Leeper suggested the existence of a wiring configuration effect; Fulton et al. did not. Wertheimer and Leeper also found evidence of elevated cancer deaths in presumably high-magnetic-field occupations. Data in both studies were analyzed using inappropriate statistical methods. To correct for this problem, the data in the Wertheimer and Leeper paper were reanalyzed under conservative assumptions. Some of their results were verified, but others were not. Reanalysis of the raw data in the Fulton study confirmed the authors' findings of no wiring configuration effect. Magnetic fields around subjects' homes were inadequately measured in both studies, hence the authors cannot infer a direct relationship between magnetic fields and cancer. Finally, Wertheimer and Leeper's occupational findings are highly questionable because: (1) they were based on data from only a single year; (2) the results did not show a consistent trend of elevated cancer trends for the occupations analyzed; (3) the authors did not establish whether the occupations analyzed were high-magnetic-field-exposure occupations; and (4) the authors failed to take into account determinants of cancer such as smoking and diet. 7 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Roth (H. Daniel) Associates, Inc., Rockville, MD (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5887679
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-EA-3904; ON: TI85920572
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CHILDREN
NEOPLASMS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
CARCINOGENESIS
DATA ANALYSIS
EVALUATED DATA
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
AGE GROUPS
DATA
DISEASES
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
PATHOGENESIS
560400* - Other Environmental Pollutant Effects