The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is conducting another cancer cluster study after the recent UT Study by Rachael Rawlins was release a couple of weeks ago. Rawlins', a UT lecturer and professor, study was published in the Virginia Environmental Law Journal. The study questioned federal and state guidelines related to natural gas drilling and its possible health effects.
Rawlins' study also questioned results of a 2010 cancer cluster investigation conducted by the DSHS back in 2010. Parents of children diagnosed with leukemia were concerned that their child was not included in the original study which would make the numbers greater than what the state had used for their research. Also, as noted in many previous posts, the DSHS stated the elevated breast cancer result could be due to overall population increases in Flower Mound and the likelihood that women in this area are more frequently screened for breast cancer.
The original study results left many of us questioning who the DSHS is really there to protect.
Click here to read the recent article in the Flower Mound Leader.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
New UT Study Flower Mound Cancer Study
UT has just released a study on the Flower Mound Cancer Cluster. If you remember, the original study was conducted by the state back in early 2010. Of course the state study was incomplete because it did not include quite a bit of data that needed to be taken into consideration. In addition to the lack of complete data, the state basically dismissed some of the alarming conclusions by blaming it on population growth and economic demographics.
Back in 2010, Eric Miller, the DSHS epidemiologist who conducted the analysis stated,
“We found nothing in the data to indicate the community is at higher risk for these types of cancers. However, we understand residents’ concerns and will continue to analyze new cancer data from these two areas.”
"The breast cancer result could be due to overall population increases in Flower Mound and the likelihood that women in this area are more frequently screened for breast cancer."
“Flower Mound’s significant population increase alone could account for a higher average number of cancer cases between 2007 and 2009,”
I received an email from someone in the Texas Department of Health Services stating that before the state study was released, it traveled all the way to the governor's office. Anyone surprised? That should say a lot about what ended up being released to the public and the many concerned families who had children and others diagnosed with cancer in our area.
In 2011, The Denton Record Chronicle published an article stating that breast cancer was on the rise in Flower Mound. Yet the state hasn't revisited this issue since they released their study.
The UT study recommends increased government monitoring of health impact studies and regulations of air pollution. Something many of us have been pleading for since the start of drilling on the Barnett Shale. Hopefully the UT Study will open the dialog again about this very important issue that in the past has been so easily dismissed and swept under the rug.
Back in 2010, Eric Miller, the DSHS epidemiologist who conducted the analysis stated,
“We found nothing in the data to indicate the community is at higher risk for these types of cancers. However, we understand residents’ concerns and will continue to analyze new cancer data from these two areas.”
"The breast cancer result could be due to overall population increases in Flower Mound and the likelihood that women in this area are more frequently screened for breast cancer."
“Flower Mound’s significant population increase alone could account for a higher average number of cancer cases between 2007 and 2009,”
I received an email from someone in the Texas Department of Health Services stating that before the state study was released, it traveled all the way to the governor's office. Anyone surprised? That should say a lot about what ended up being released to the public and the many concerned families who had children and others diagnosed with cancer in our area.
In 2011, The Denton Record Chronicle published an article stating that breast cancer was on the rise in Flower Mound. Yet the state hasn't revisited this issue since they released their study.
The UT study recommends increased government monitoring of health impact studies and regulations of air pollution. Something many of us have been pleading for since the start of drilling on the Barnett Shale. Hopefully the UT Study will open the dialog again about this very important issue that in the past has been so easily dismissed and swept under the rug.
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