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Land Elevation And Cancer Mortality In U.S. Cities And Counties Using Median Elevations Derived From Geographic Information Systems, John Hart
Dose-Response: An International Journal
There are a number of variables that are correlated with land elevation. Land elevation, and in particular, its surrogate variables such as natural background radiation, can be studied in relation to cancer rates. The present ecological study focuses on three such variables correlated with land elevation: natural background radiation (NBR), oxygen concentration (OC), and barometric pressure (BP). In addition, the study uses a novel approach for determining median land elevation values from which the surrogated variables are estimated. Inverse correlations were observed for NBR while direct correlations were found for OC and BP suggesting the presence of a protective effect …
Cancer Mortality For A Single Race In Low Versus High Elevation Counties In The U.S., John Hart
Cancer Mortality For A Single Race In Low Versus High Elevation Counties In The U.S., John Hart
Dose-Response: An International Journal
A previous study compared cancer mortality in the six lowest versus six highest elevations in the U.S. for all races. This study looks at a single race since death rates tend to vary by race. In this ecological study, cancer mortality rates were compared between low and high states for a race that had sufficient number of counties reporting mortality data, that is, the white race. The average cancer mortality rate for low elevation counties was 73.47 + 18.35 compared to 53.90 + 13.76 for high elevation counties, a difference that was statistically significant (p < 0.0001), with a very large effect size (of 1.2). Higher elevation counties showed less cancer mortality rates for a single race compared to lower elevation counties, suggesting the presence of radiation hormesis. Further rigorous research is indicated to verify or refute these findings.