A study recommended by David Spiegel of Faculty of 1000 Medicine (f1000medicine/), looks at the relationship between depression care management and survival rates in older patients. He identifies it as “an important and well-conducted study of the effects of treatment of depression on survival in a primary care setting”

A leading authority on mind-body interactions and professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Stanford University, Spiegel evaluates the research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, stressing the finding that “Comorbid depression shortens survival time with cancer, and intervention with medication and psychotherapy can therefore extend survival among cancer patients.”

The better survival rates were not seen in patients with depression and cardiovascular disease, only in those with cancer. Spiegel notes that this “is surprising given the well-known link between depression and poor cardiovascular disease outcome”.

He concludes, “Vigorous diagnosis and treatment programs for comorbid depression in cancer patients should, based on this study, extend survival time.”

###

1 Dr. David Spiegel, Faculty Member for F1000 Medicine Psychiatry Specialty, is a global authority on mind-body interactions and professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Stanford University

2 The effect of a primary care practice-based depression intervention on mortality in older adults: a randomized trial.
Gallo JJ, Bogner HR, Morales KH, Post EP, Lin JY, Bruce ML
Ann Intern Med 2007 May 15 146(10):689-98
annals/cgi/reprint/146/10/689.pdf

3 Faculty of 1000 Medicine’s evaluation of this article is available at f1000medicine/article/zckntxms4rbt1bm/id/1103568

4 Faculty of 1000 Medicine, f1000medicine/, is a unique online service that helps clinicians and researchers stay informed of high impact articles and access the opinions of global leaders in medicine. A distinguished international faculty select and evaluate key articles across medicine, providing a rapidly updated, authoritative guide to the medical literature that matters.

Source: Jemima Tonks


BioMed Central

When nicotine binds to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchR), it is known to promote smoking addiction and may also directly promote the development of breast cancer, according to a study published online in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

While smoking is a well-known risk factor for a broad range of cancer types, non-nicotine components of tobacco have generally been thought to be the carcinogens, so little is known about how nicotine acts on cells to promote cancer cell growth. For breast cancer in particular, some large epidemiological studies have suggested that smoking is related to increased breast cancer risk, but they have not been accompanied by molecular biology studies on how that actually works.

To determine whether nicotine works on the cellular level to promote breast cancer growth, Yuan-Soon Ho, Ph.D., of the Taipei Medical University, and colleagues, looked at 276 breast tumor samples from anonymous donors to the Taipei Medical University Hospital, to see whether subunits of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor were overexpressed in breast cancer cells compared with surrounding normal cells.

The researchers found that human breast cancer cells consistently overexpressed the alpha 9 subunit of the nAChR (О±9-nAchR), and that expression was higher in advanced-stage breast cancer compared with early-stage cancer. They also found that reducing the levels of О±9-nAchRs inhibited tumor growth in laboratory experiments, whereas increasing the levels of О±9-nAchRs or treating more normal breast cells with nicotine promoted the development of cancer characteristics.

The authors write: “These results imply that receptor-mediated carcinogenic signals play a decisive role in biological functions related to human breast cancer development.”

The authors say their study was limited by its small sample size, and the fact that it included only Asian patients. Breast cancer in Taiwan is characterized by its low incidence rate and early stage of tumor onset.

In an accompanying editorial, Ilona Linnoila, M.D., of the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute, writes that the study “suggests not only that smoking could be causally related to breast carcinogenesis but also that nicotine could directly contribute to the molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis in addition to indirectly contributing by promoting addiction to smoking.”

Furthermore, Linnoila writes, “Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the cholinergic pathways will lead to more opportunities for intervention and prevention of tobacco toxicity.”

Source:
Kristine Crane
Journal of the National Cancer Institute

AstraZeneca
announced results from the phase IIb safety and tolerability trial for NXY-059
in acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients, CHANT (Cerebral Hemorrhagic
And NXY-059 Treatment). Although AstraZeneca is developing NXY-059 for the
treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS), it was felt important to assess the
safety and tolerability of NXY-059 in ICH, as treatment may be initiated prior
to a neuroimaging confirmation of the diagnosis of AIS.

The data showed that
the safety and tolerability of NXY-059 in ICH patients was similar to placebo,
with comparable mortality rates (20% in each group) and there was no
difference seen between the NXY-059 and placebo groups on the secondary
endpoint of stroke outcomes in the study.

Dr. Tomas Odergren, Global Product Director for NXY-059 at AstraZeneca
commented: “Our evolving understanding of the safety and tolerability profile
of NXY-059 in acute stroke conditions is enhanced greatly by the CHANT trial
results. The results show that NXY-059 was well tolerated in the studied
patients with intracerebral hemorrhage and that the overall safety profile was
similar to the profile seen in Acute Ischemic Stroke patients in SAINT I. The
potential implications on the way the drug may be used to treat Acute Ischemic
Stroke will be subject to the outcome of the second pivotal phase III trial,
SAINT II and regulatory approvals.”

CHANT was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group,
multi-center, phase IIb study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of NXY-
059 in patients with acute ICH. Stroke outcomes were explored as a secondary
objective. Patients were randomized to receive NXY-059 or placebo within six
hours of ICH onset. A total of 603 patients from 20 countries were treated.

Safety and tolerability in the CHANT trial were assessed in terms of
mortality, adverse events, neuroimaging scans, presence of abnormal findings
on vital signs, laboratory assessments and by electrocardiography (ECG).
Stroke outcomes were explored using a range of stroke scales including the
modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Barthel Index and National Institutes of Health
Stroke Scale (NIHSS).

NXY-059 is being studied as a neuroprotectant in phase III clinical trials
for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke by AstraZeneca and licensed from
Renovis, Inc. NXY-059 has a proposed mechanism of action of free radical
trapping.

The phase III efficacy SAINT trials for NXY-059 in acute ischemic stroke
(AIS) are being conducted worldwide in approximately 400 centers across 40
countries to evaluate the effect of the compound in acute ischemic stroke
patients. These countries and regions include: Europe, Asia, Australia, New
Zealand, South Africa, United States, Canada and Latin America.

Dependent on the outcome of the SAINT II trial, AstraZeneca plans to file
regulatory submissions for NXY-059 for acute ischemic stroke in Europe and the
U.S. in the first half of 2007.

– NXY-059 was previously referred to as ‘Cerovive’. NXY-059 will be used
from this point forward until a global trademark has been approved.

– The Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) is a commonly used global disability
scale for assessing outcome following a stroke, and is a scale favored
by regulatory authorities and clinicians. It is a simple measure of
disability used in the recovery and rehabilitation phases of stroke.
There are six outcome levels on the scale, progressing from no
disability (mRS=0) to severe disability (mRS=5).

– The phase III SAINT I was a double blind, placebo-controlled phase III
study, in which patients were randomized to receive NXY-059 or placebo
within six hours of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The study involved
1,722 patients in 158 centers from 24 countries.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the
research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription
pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the
world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $23.95
billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular,
neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. In the United
States, AstraZeneca is a $10.77 billion healthcare business with more than
12,000 employees. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index
(Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.

AstraZeneca
astrazeneca-us

AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond today sent a letter to leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee in advance of a hearing in the Subcommittee on Health on Medicare physician payments. AARP recognizes that the current physician payment system is broken and needs a long-term repair. In her letter, LeaMond emphasized the need to keep doctors in Medicare and encourage them to provide quality, coordinated care. However, the Association is concerned that some proposals under consideration would simply shift costs to seniors, rather than provide incentives to doctors for providing quality, coordinated care.

Excerpts from LeaMond’s letter follow:

“Unless Congress acts by the end of this year, doctors will see a nearly 30 percent cut in their payments from Medicare. Facing this constant uncertainty and dramatic cuts to their payments, more and more physicians are choosing to no longer take Medicare patients, which impacts beneficiaries’ access to care.”

“The Medicare program must be kept affordable. When it was created in 1965, more than half of older Americans were uninsured and they were the population most likely to be living in poverty. Today, the average older person already spends about one third of his/her income on health care. If Part B premiums and cost-sharing continue to escalate, many more beneficiaries will find it increasingly difficult to pay for the care they need.”

“The recently introduced Medicare Patient Empowerment Act (H.R. 1700) would relax the Medicare private contracting rules to allow Medicare beneficiaries to contract with their physician outside of Medicare at rates established between the patient and provider. AARP strongly opposes relaxing the current Medicare rules related to balance billing and/or private contracting because they would do nothing more than shift costs onto Medicare beneficiaries. Private contracting and balance billing increase health care costs by raising prices.”

“Not only do private contracting and balance billing shift costs onto beneficiaries, but neither do anything to improve the quality of care delivered. In fact, under both approaches, physicians will continue to be rewarded by the quantity of care provided, rather than on the quality of that care. As Congress grapples with how to address the SGR problem, it should focus on rewarding quality providers, not the quantity of services provided.”

“. [W]e urge Congress to enact legislation that emphasizes value over volume and improves the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries.”

“The recently enacted Affordable Care Act (ACA) included many delivery system reforms-such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), patient-centered medical homes, value-based purchasing, quality-based payments, and patient safety initiatives. We have been working closely with providers, physicians, and health plans to help ensure that these delivery system reforms can be implemented so that current and future beneficiaries can realize a

Medicare program that is both higher quality and more efficient.”

“These types of major delivery system reforms take time, planning, and commitment from Congress, the Administration, and providers to achieve a new way of delivering care with new incentives based on achieving quality-not quantity-of care. In addition, we believe our nation’s leaders must help educate seniors about both planned and proposed changes to the Medicare system. Asking seniors simply to continue to pay more and more to see their doctor can’t be the answer.”

Source:

AARP

Chagas disease, which is transmitted to humans by a blood-sucking insect known as an Assassin bug, is the most
devastating parasitic infection in Central and South America and Mexico. The protozoan parasite that causes the disease,
Trypanosoma cruzi, infects 16 to 18 million people, causing severe chronic illness and tens of thousands of deaths per year.

Until now, there has been no effective treatment for the long-term, chronic form of Chagas disease, which kills up to
one-third of those infected, usually by heart failure. However, two Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) international
research scholars have now found that in mice, a compound called TAK-187 is significantly more effective than the current
standard of care – the drug benznidazole – in preventing T. cruzi-induced cardiac damage. Julio Urbina from the Venezuelan
Institute for Scientific Research, Miguel Angel Basombrio from the National University of Salta, and colleagues report their
findings in an early online publication of the April issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Benznidazole, a drug used to treat acute, recent Chagas infections, often has toxic side effects and does not work once the
disease has entered its chronic phase. As an alternative, Urbina, Basombrio, and colleagues tested TAK-187, a compound that
prevents T.cruzi from producing a member of the steroid family called ergosterol, which is essential to the parasite’s life
cycle. The compound is currently in development as a systemic antifungal agent, but the results of the current study suggest
that drugs of this type, which inhibit ergosterol synthesis, could be a “superior alternative to currently available therapy
in the management of chronic Chagas disease,” Urbina and Basombrio write in their report.

The scientists infected a group of mice with T.cruzi, then treated those mice with either TAK-187, benznidazole, or nothing
at all. While both drugs eliminated T.cruzi from the blood of infected animals, the researchers found that TAK-187 was more
effective at preventing cardiac and skeletal inflammation and tissue damage, with no toxic side effects. Cardiac and skeletal
damage occur in chronic Chagas infection, causing crippling and death.

Importantly, TAK-187 was effective at a dose that was both 10 times lower and administered less frequently than that of
benznidazole. The researchers think this may be because the new compound is eliminated more slowly than benznidazole from the
treated animals and is also more resistant to metabolism by the mammalian host.

The latest study confirms results published in 2003 by Urbina and colleagues in the International Journal of Antimicrobial
Agents, when they found TAK-187 effective against drug-resistant strains of T.cruzi.

“These results, together with the previous publication, are very promising,” said Roberto Docampo, a professor at the Center
for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases at University of Georgia. “The results strongly support the view that a more
efficient treatment for Chagas disease could be available.” But Louis Kirchhoff, a professor at University of Iowa, questions
whether the drug is effective enough. “TAK-187 suppresses T-cruzi,” he said. “What we are looking for is a compound that
wipes out the parasite.”

Urbina and colleagues now plan clinical trials to determine the safety and efficacy of TAK-187 in patients with Chagas
disease. “We must now examine the safety and effectiveness of therapeutic doses of this drug and determine the optimal
administration schedule, the treatment duration, and its possible combination with other drugs,” said Basombrio, who started
studying the disease 28 years ago because it is so prevalent in his homeland of Argentina.

Takeda Chemical Company, the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in Japan, has patented TAK-187 as a systemic antifungal
agent. “The clinical development of this compound as an anti-T-cruzi agent in humans will depend on legal and economic
agreements with Takeda, which are being sought through the World Health Organization,” said Urbina.

The Venezuelan started doing basic research on Chagas disease 25 years ago, concerned by the neglect of this tropical disease
by the pharmaceutical industry and most academic research centers in Latin America and throughout the world. “Only one
percent of the new drugs introduced to the market in the last 25 years were developed to treat tropical diseases, despite the
enormous unmet need for such compounds,” he said. “Only 10 percent of current global health research is directed to address
the medical needs of 90 percent of the human population.”

Contact: Jennifer Donovan
donovanjhhmi
240-401-5783
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
hhmi

Mayo Clinic was awarded the Gold Seal of Approval for stroke care and re-accredited as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission (TJC) following an on-site review conducted Friday, Feb. 18.

Joint Commission certification means the program complies with the national standards in the implementation of established clinical practice guidelines, performance measurements and continuous improvement programs for the care of stroke patients.

The center, which was relocated to Mayo Clinic’s new hospital on its San Pablo Road campus in April 2008 from St. Luke’s Hospital, was first certified by TJC as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center in December 2004. Mayo Clinic is also certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). There are only sixteen other stroke centers in the state of Florida that have received this designation.

“These certifications are national recognition of our excellence in caring for stroke patients. Patients can be assured of certain standards regarding diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, with the ultimate goal of reducing the time between stroke onset and treatment,” says Mayo Clinic neurologist James Meschia, M.D., the stroke center’s medical director. “Additionally, part of what distinguishes Mayo Clinic’s Primary Stroke Center from other facilities is our advanced diagnostic capabilities and treatments for routine brain attacks as well as complex stroke cases.”

Each year more than 700,000 people experience a stroke nationwide. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in adults. Last year, more than 400 stroke patients were treated by Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, which continues to expand and enhance its stroke services.

The clinic recently increased its interventional neurosurgery staff, welcoming Rabih G. Tawk, M.D., and has increased other support services to ensure it continues to provide the best care for stroke patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mayo Clinic’s stroke program began in 2003 with the mission to provide the best care to every patient through clinical practice, research and education. The program includes a multidisciplinary team of physicians from emergency medicine, neurology, neurosurgery and interventional radiology as well as nursing and rehabilitation services, pharmacy, radiology and social work. The program participates in numerous clinical trials in stroke prevention, treatment and genetics and is associated with Mayo Clinic’s neurology residency program.

Source: Mayo Clinic

An 8-year-old Jersey dairy cow is back at her Kansas farm thanks to a decade of research and an experimental surgery performed at Kansas State University’s Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

The cow, named Wilhelmina Jolene by the veterinary students assigned to her case, sustained a breeding injury in December 2007 when the cruciate ligament in her right knee ruptured. Dr. David Anderson, professor and head of agricultural practices at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, replaced the ligament using synthetic material called monofilament nylon. The procedure’s success could have enormous implications for breeding quality cows and bulls with the same injury.

Fortunately, Wilhelmina’s owner recognized the value of saving her. Mike Frey is the son of Dr. Russ Frey, a prominent professor at K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “She’s owned by the son of an important faculty member in our college’s history,” Anderson said. “It’s wonderful that there is a connection to Dr. Frey with this case and that Mike understands the teaching value.”

Mike Frey said he was happy to be part of an effort that could help animals, producers and students.

“I was always under the assumption that an animal with this problem was going to be heading down the road,” he said. “If they could perfect this so that a cow could be kept in production, that would be worth quite a bit.”

The cruciate ligament is a dense tissue that connects the bones in the knee joint. Injuring it can be career-ending and often life-ending – until now, Anderson said.

The three surgical techniques for cruciate ligaments in large animals have a failure rate of approximately 50 percent, Anderson said. This fact caused him and surgery colleagues Drs. Guy St-Jean and Andre Desrochers to investigate alternatives in the 1990s. That’s when the team designed a cruciate ligament using braided polyester; however, the material was not strong enough for heavy cattle.

Anderson continued to experiment with a variety of materials until he discovered an unusual form of nylon monofilament, a solid material about the diameter of a coffee straw. But the question remained: Could this man-made material replace the natural ligament of a 1,500 pound animal?

On Jan. 17, Anderson replaced Wilhelmina’s torn ligament with the artificial one, dubbed the “Wildcat Power Cord.” Anderson’s surgery team included surgery residents Drs. Kara Schulz and Jose Bras, intern Dr. Manuel Chamorro, along with anesthesiologists, veterinary students and technicians.

The next day, the Jersey cow was led across the hospital’s video synchronization pressure mat to determine her level of lameness. “Her stride length had increased 30 percent, and she bore 25 percent more weight on her operated leg,” Anderson said. “To have that much improvement is spectacular.”

His long-term goal is to develop a replacement ligament strong enough for bulls. Lab tests reveal that the Wildcat Power Cord can withstand up to 12,000 newtons of pressure – roughly 50 percent more than an adult bull requires.

Wilhelmina retuned home and was kept in a box stall for a week or so, Mike Frey said. After that, she had the run of the free stall. “It’s been a tough winter with all of the snow and ice,” he said. “I didn’t think she’d get around as good as she did.”

Shelby Reinstein, a senior veterinary student from Tulsa, Okla., was one of the K-State students who worked with — and named — Wilhelmina the cow.

Reinstein said she appreciated the learning opportunities this case presented, especially those relative to anatomy of the stifle and monitoring Wilhelmina for specific conditions dairy cows are at risk for developing. These include inflammation of the udder (mastitis) or of the uterus (metritis), a metabolic imbalance (ketosis), ulcers and displacement of the abomasum, the fourth compartment of a ruminant’s stomach.

“We worked really hard for her and spent long hours at the hospital, but it was definitely worth it after seeing how well she did post-op,” Reinstein said. “I love being part of the discovery aspect of veterinary medicine, and it is always really rewarding to try something you’re not sure about and have it work. And, my parents were quite impressed that I could milk a cow!”

###

Source David Anderson

Kansas State University

University of Pittsburgh researchers have discovered that a type of cell — called an amniotic epithelial cell — in the human placenta bears a close resemblance to a human embryonic stem cell in its ability to develop into different tissues, according to a paper published online on Thursday in… Stem Cells Express, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Stephen Strom and Yoshio Miki — an associate professor and professor, respectively, at the UP School of Medicine’s Department of Pathology — also will describe their findings in a future issue of the journal Stem Cells. Amniotic epithelial cells comprise the thin membrane — known as the amnion or birth sac — surrounding the fetus and can be obtained from placentas usually discarded after childbirth. These cells might be a “noncontroversial alternative” to embryonic stem cells for purposes of research into cures of life-threatening conditions, such as diabetes or Parkinson’s disease, according to the Post-Gazette. The Pittsburgh-based biotechnology company Stemnion licensed the patent rights from UP and plans to use amniotic epithelial cells to treat cirrhosis and diabetes (Spice, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 8/5).

“Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

A paper on resident duty hour limits from Rhode Island Hospital has been selected as the best education paper of 2010 by the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR). In the paper, lead author Martha Mainiero, M.D., explains the history behind the current resident duty hour requirements, the proposed changes, and the response from national radiology organizations regarding the proposed changes.

Mainiero, the director of the residency program in diagnostic radiology at Rhode Island Hospital, explains that national restrictions were first introduced in 2003 to limit the hours residents could be on duty. At the time, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) cited increasing acuity and intensity of medical care in teaching institutions, as well as scientific evidence of the negative effect of sleep deprivation on performance, as reasons for instituting restrictions. Those limits were not to exceed 80 hours in a week or more than 24 consecutive hours.

In December 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report recommending further action be taken to reduce resident fatigue and ensure patient safety within 24 months of the report. In their paper, Mainiero and her colleagues state, “The IOM committee did not recommend a change from the maximum of 80 hours per week, averaged over four weeks, but instead recommends decreasing the maximum length of shifts, increasing the time off between shifts and mandating sleep period during longer shifts.”

In response to the ACGME’s request for input to the proposed changes, Mainiero and her co-authors summarized the input provided by the American College of Radiology and a number of other radiologic institutions. Mainiero wrote, “Radiology supports the current requirements, but recognizes that there has been inadequate study of the outcomes of the current duty hour regulations and there continue to be issues with compliance with those regulations.” Their recommendation was to have more rigorous monitoring of duty hours before implementing new duty hour recommendations

Mainiero also reported that the radiology community found no convincing evidence that the proposed recommendations for further duty hour limits would have a significant impact on reducing resident fatigue. In fact, there is concern that further restricting duty hours may take away from important educational activities that are essential to resident training, but Mainiero and her co-authors recognized that ACGME would have little choice but to take further actions and make additional restrictions to guide the training of residents. Subsequent to the publication of the article, the ACGME did indeed issue further restrictions on resident duty hours, which will take effect in July 2011.

On being recognized as one of the top papers of the year by the JACR, Mainiero says, “We appreciate this recognition from the JACR and hope that it will open the door to further discussions on the important issue of resident duty hour requirements. As an academic medical center, we are committed to teaching the physicians of tomorrow, and we hope the new guidelines will help us be effective in our mission.”

Other authors of the paper with Mainiero are Lawrence P. Davis, M.D. of Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York and Jocelyn D. Chertoff, M.D., of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center of New Hampshire.

Source:
Nancy Cawley Jean
Lifespan

According to the PHCHCC (Port Hope Community Health Concerns Committee), residents and workers of Port Hope, Ontario are being put at risk of chronic, long-term uranium contamination from two refineries which are located within the community – the PHCHCC quotes a recent study carried out by the Uranium Medical Research Centre (UMRC).

Faye More, PHCHCC, and Tedd Weyman, UMRC, went to Ottawa and appealed to MPs (members of parliament) to ask why Health Canada has chosen to consistently disregard the available evidence and allowed the current contamination of the town to continue.

NDP Environment Critic Nathan Cullen (Skeena-Bulkley Valley), who promised to take up their cause, said “Once again, the needs of ordinary Canadians are being ignored in favour of corporate profits,” said Cullen. “We need to show leadership as the elected representatives of this country to ensure that the health of working people and of communities comes first. Health Canada should not be ignoring peer reviewed studies, nor give a false sense of security when real questions of safety exist.”

According to a study carried out by UMRC and produced by Weyman of nine Port Hope workers, as well as two controls, all the samples from Port Hope people showed that contamination continued up to 23 years after they had stopped working at the reactor.

Cullen said “What shocked me even more was the irresponsible response to this study by their local MP, Conservative Rick Norlock. Rather than raising concern about the health of his constituents, he chastised them for somehow ruining the reputation of the town. As leaders, we have the responsibilities to recognize the issues that we have in our ridings and do whatever we can to overcome them for the sake of the people we represent.”

Cullen vowed to do whatever he could to make sure a comprehensive multidisciplinary health study be carried out in the Port Hope community. He called for an investigation into Health Canada’s denials of health risk that he says exist there.

Port Hope Community Health Concerns Committee