The emperor's magnetic clothes

Article Abstract:

Many reports have appeared in the news media indicating that exposure to electromagnetic radiation increases the risk of various types of cancer. Such reports create a significant amount of fear, yet examination of the actual research data suggests that such fears are without foundation. One might then ask why such fears persist. There seems to be an expectation by some individuals that anything technological causes cancer, and one might expect that any new invention will be accused of causing malignancies. Some people who develop cancer sue the power company if they live near power transmission lines, or sue the manufacturer of their electric blanket if they use one. These suits are sometimes settled to avoid legal fees and costly court battles. However, these settlements can give the impression that there was some validity to the claim. One might look at the actual evidence suggesting that exposure to power lines might cause cancer. Electromagnetic radiation is given off not only by power lines, but also by all electrical appliances. Indeed, the radiation from power lines is weak compared with that of ordinary household appliances. No study has demonstrated a dose effect; if such exposure causes cancer, then people with more exposure should suffer an even greater rate. The studies that report a link between electromagnetic radiation and cancer usually investigate a multitude of cancers and types of exposure; the data that indicate increased risk of cancer are highly touted. However, these same studies also find a decreased risk for other forms of cancer among those exposed to electric appliances. No one imagines that electric fields can protect against these cancers, and the results are dismissed as statistical accidents. Why the positive findings are accepted as fact and the negative findings are dismissed as chance has not been made clear by the researchers. It is also incredible that the radiation from electric blankets are claimed to cause brain tumors, while the radiation from heated water beads causes soft tissue sarcoma. How the same radiation might differ depending on its source is inconceivable. In addition to the dearth of research findings, there are not yet any theoretical reasons for suspecting that electromagnetic radiation causes cancer. The radiation strength is too weak to affect chemical bonds or cause changes within the cell. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Electromagnetic fields, Risk factors, Power lines, Electric power transmission, Electromagnetic radiation, Electromagnetic waves

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Foreign body carcinogenesis

Article Abstract:

During the recent enthusiasm for research on the molecular biology of cancer, most research emphasis has been focused on cancer-causing chemicals and viruses. But cancer may also be caused by the presence of foreign bodies within tissues. Curiously, foreign body carcinogenesis is not nearly as common in humans as in laboratory animals, yet the phenomenon is important for what it may tell us about the fundamental causes of cancer. For example, the foreign material used in joint replacements may cause cancer, but fewer than 20 such cases have been reported throughout the world. Foreign body cancers may arise from metal pieces implanted as a result of surgical treatment for injuries; in one case the development of cancer followed the implantation of metal after a delay of 44 years. Foreign body cancers are quite easy to demonstrate experimentally in laboratory rats. A wide range of foreign bodies will cause cancer in rats, and it appears that the physical form of the foreign body is more important than the chemical composition. For example, an implanted sheet of nylon caused cancer in 58 percent of rats in one experiment, while the implantation of an equivalent amount of nylon powder caused no cancer. Large, flat, smooth surfaces seem to play a role in the development of cancer. When the tissues are examined at various time intervals during the development of cancer, large numbers of precancerous cells are not apparent at the early stages. This observation suggests that whatever effect the foreign body has, only a small number of cells are initially transformed into cancer cells. There is a strong component of genetic control of these phenomena; a foreign body implanted into the abdominal cavity will cause cancer in some strains of mice but not others. Some foreign bodies, such as a mass of sesame oil, do not cause cancer when injected into mice, but when the animal is given a cancer-causing chemical by mouth, a tumor develops at the site of the sesame oil injection. Much needs to be learned about the physiological mechanisms by which these processes take place. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Reports, Complications and side effects, Carcinogenesis, Foreign bodies (Medical care), Foreign bodies

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Interleukin-2-activated lymphocytes from brain tumor patients: a comparison of two preparations generated in vitro

Article Abstract:

Patients with malignant gliomas, tumors of the supporting elements of the nervous system, have circulating T-cells which are capable of killing their tumor cells, at least in cell culture. Why the tumor within the patient is spared is not certain, but many attempts to harness this therapeutic potential have been made. Often this entails injecting activated T-cells into the tumor bed after surgical removal. The procedure has not proved immensely effective. Nonetheless, study of the cell-killing properties of the T-cells of glioma patients may be useful in perfecting this procedure. T-cells were obtained from the peripheral blood of 29 glioma patients, which were stimulated with interleukin-2 (IL-2) alone, or interleukin-2 with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), a lectin which binds to cells and stimulates cell division. The cells obtained from IL-2 stimulation alone are referred to as lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, and those stimulated by PHA are autologous-stimulated lymphocytes (ASL). When incubated with target cells, the LAK cells began to kill the targets more rapidly, and the ASL caught up after 18 hours. The cultured cells varied markedly among patients in their ability to kill target cells. It is not known if this variation is due to the chemotherapy received by the patients, or whether it represents an intrinsic variation among patients. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Research, Physiological aspects, Interleukin-2, Cellular immunity, Brain cancer, Astrocytoma, Astrocytomas

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