Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, September 27, 2013
Report: Anti-GMO Activists Cause Cancer on Kauai
By Andrew Walden @ 1:29 PM :: 5694 Views :: GMOs

by Andrew Walden

Anti-GMO conspiracy theorists have been pushing the claim that a so-called "cancer cluster" is emerging on Kauai. Having made the claim, they then attribute the alleged "cluster" to either pesticides, GMOs, or both--depending on their rhetorical needs at the moment.  The hype reached a national audience with a September 4, 2013 Salon article headline screaming about a "suspected cancer cluster."

Now the State Department of Health and UH Cancer Center have re-released the April, 2013 Hawai'i Tumor Registry Report showing that Kauai has fewer cancers per capita than the rest of the state and fewer than the US average. 

Here are the key findings:

In general, cancer incidence on Kaua‘i was similar to or lower than that of the entire state of Hawai‘i.

Overall cancer incidence rates (all cancers combined) were significantly lower on Kaua‘i compared to the entire state of Hawai‘i for both time periods (2000-2004 and 2005-2009).

Cancer incidence rates on Kaua‘i were lower for the following cancers during one or both time periods:

  • breast cancer (2000-2004 and 2005-2009), endometrial cancer (2005-2009), Hodgkin lymphoma
  • (2005-2009), liver cancer (2005-2009), ovarian cancer (2000-2004 and 2005-2009), prostate cancer
  • (2000-2004), and thyroid cancer (2000-2004 and 2005-2009).

The incidence of melanoma (a type of skin cancer) on Kaua‘i was significantly elevated for the time period 2000-2004.

Within individual census tracts of Kaua‘i, cancer incidence was generally lower or comparable to that of the state.

The incidence of melanoma for census tract 401 was significantly elevated for the time period 2000-2004.  No other census tract showed elevated rates of cancer.  (Census tract 401 is Hanalei.)

The DoH explains: "The analysis found that cancers of the breast, endometrium, Hodgkin lymphoma, liver, ovary, prostate and thyroid were lower on Kauai compared to the entire state of Hawaii. Higher rates of melanoma on Kauai were found and may be explained by a larger proportion of older adults of Caucasian ancestry with high levels of lifetime sun exposure residing in the northern region of Kauai."  

The only thing resembling a 'cancer cluster' consists of surfers in Hanalei who spend too much time in the sun and therefore get skin cancer a lot.  This is ironic because the key leaders of the anti-GMO movement are described in a recent interview as coming from "Da Hui Surf Club, a group of surfers responsible for enforcing disputes over waves during the North Shore’s busy season."  Therefore the cancer rate on Kauai is most likely being elevated by the chosen lifestyle of anti-GMO activists, not by those they protest. 

Read it here: Kauai Cancer Rates April, 2013, Updated September, 2013  

DoH: News Release Sept 26, 2013

KGI: DOH: Kauai cancer rates not unusual

Salon: "As a suspected cancer cluster invades Hawaii, residents are torn between GMO jobs and the health of the people"

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii