Residents of Grantsville are to be commended for their recent efforts to gather hard data to support their requests for further study of the cancer rates in their town.

Alarmed by what seemed to be unduly high incidents of cancer in their community, some residents conducted a survey of half the town's households. Their findings indicate higher rates of cancer than those reported in a 1995 state study. The disparity between the two studies is great enough and the residents' approach was sound enough for their findings to be given due consideration.The state's study - conducted by the Utah Bureau of Epidemiology and the Tooele County Health Department - indicated dramatic increases in some types of cancer from 1972-1992. It found that rates in Grants- ville for cervical cancer has increased 150 percent during that time period. Prostate cancer 37 increased percent and breast cancer 35 percent.

That information takes on new importance when compared with national statistics. The American Cancer Society, citing 30-year trends from 1960-62 to 1990-92, reports that national rates for cervical cancer dropped 67 percent during that time period. Prostate cancer increased 29 percent nationally and breast cancer increased just 4 percent.

Given their proximity to Dugway Proving Grounds, mineral-processing companies and waste incinerators, Grantsville residents have good reason to be concerned about external causes of cancer.

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Government health officials owe it to the citizens of Grantsville to take a serious look at the results of the residents' survey. This information could add enough new information to warrant a more exhaustive study by the state.

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