Fluoride-cancer link rebuffs

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 12

Fluoride-cancer link rebuffs

PA Dunedin A New Zealand study begun 15 years ago has not only shown no evidence that the fluoridation of water is linked with cancer, but that the reverse may hold, according to three researchers. The biggest increase in cancer during the study period was in non-fluor-idated areas.

“As many of the independent studies of cancer incidence in relation to fluoridation have made similar observations, we feel that attention should be drawn to the emergence of what may be an important finding the exact opposite of what the anti-fluoridationists were

claiming,” the researchers say.

The study was done byDr C. M. Goodall, of the Otago Medical School, Mr F. H. Foster. Chief Health Statistician, and Nir J. Fraser, senior statistician with the National Health Statistics Centre in Wellington. A report, of the study appears in the latest “New Zealand Medical Journal.” The study compared a population served byfluoridated water since at least 1967 with a population served by unfluoridated water. Since more than 90 per cent of cancer deaths in New Zealand occur in people aged 45 years and

over, that age group was selected for the study’. Between 1961 and 1976, the period when fieldwork for the study was taken, cancer rates among men rose 10 per cent in fluoridated areas and 29 per cent in non-fluoridated areas.

In the same period cancer incidence dropped 2 per cent among women in fluoridated areas and rose 2 per cent among women in non-fluoridated areas. The fluoride-cancer link has been alleged in United States surveys by Burk and Yiamouyiannis. The New’ Zealand researchers say that if fluoridation had even a fraction of the carcinogenic power alleged

by the United States researchers. “then at least some indication of a positive effect would have been detected in our 15year study.” The finding that cancer mortality is lower in fluoridated areas rather than increasing is supported in a number of other studies.