| Abstract: |
To the Editor: In an otherwise praiseworthy update of occupational medicine by Cullen et al. (March 8 issue),1 some disturbing literature citations becloud the section on carcinogenesis, particularly Table 3. The two articles cited in reference to pesticides as potential sources of hematologic cancer are inappropriate. The article by Epstein and Ozonoff2 refers to 25 patients in whom various hematologic disorders, including leukemia, developed after they were exposed to a number of pesticides. Unfortunately, 12 “cases” apparently were culled from litigation cases, which are a notoriously bad source of scientific documentation for all aspects of carcinogenicity, particularly information on exposure. © 1990, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. |
