Articles
Study Assesses Link Between Asbestos and Colorectal
Cancer
While some studies have established a clear link between asbestos
exposure and colorectal cancer, others have found no relationship
between the two whatsoever. To address this issue, the Institute
of Medicine of the National Academies assessed more than 120
studies in an effort to determine once and for all, if asbestos
causes cancer of the throat and digestive system.
The Process
All scientific studies are not created equal, so the Institute
assessed the research to determine how much weight each study
should carry in the debate. For example, if two studies are
exactly the same except one involves 1,000 patients and the
other 50,000 patients, the one with more patients should hold
more weight because it's a larger sample size. Likewise, a study
sponsored by an asbestos company would be viewed with skepticism.
(This particular study was sponsored by the National Institutes
of Health.)
The Verdict
According to the study, entitled Asbestos: Selected Cancers,
the evidence was suggestive but insufficient to infer a link.
In English: asbestos might cause colorectal cancer, but they
can't say for sure. Seems like a lot of work for what we already
knew in the first place! But actually, it does tell us something
new. The study could have determined there was no link. It also
could have determined that there wasn't enough evidence to draw
conclusions. (The researchers decided this was the case with
asbestos exposure and cancer of the esophagus.)
The bottom line here is to remain mindful that
asbestos exposure may cause colorectal cancer. If you've been
exposed to asbestos, or work with asbestos on a regular basis,
this study is one more reason to make sure you adhere to colorectal
cancer screening recommendations.
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