In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Raid Amin discuss what cancer clusters or cancer hot spots are and how they get their official designation. In today’s society where there are many types of cancers and hot spots appear to be associated with particular geographic areas across the UNited states.   Cancer clusters can only be identified, officially, by the CDC regardless of the cancer data in an area. For the general public, the only cancer information you can easily access is that at your local county level. Dr. Amin discusses some of the research that he and his graduate students have done into cancer clusters and the relationship to Superfund sites, the economics behind some of those locations, and the ongoing research.

 

 Key Takeaways:

• The CDC, the Department for Environmental Protection, and the Department of Health all worth together if the situation appears serious enough with a cancer cluster or hot spot as identified by the CDC.
• When a county has zero Superfund sites, it has a significantly lower cancer rate than the rest of the USA where they have some Superfund sites. The more Superfund sites in a county, the higher the number of cancers.
• The research on cancer clusters, superfund sites, and their associations is still ongoing. While not well-publicized in the media, a number of scholarly investigations, such as those of Dr. Amin, are continuing.

"Most locals have no clue what's happening. Simply, we have to trust the system. It seems that's the way it is. And that's why I decided to study [superfund sites] and its association to cancers." —  Dr. Raid Amin

 

Connect with Dr. Raid Amin:

UWF Bio: Dr. Raid Amin  

Superfund Information: EPA.gov/Superfund  

 

 

Connect with Therese:

Website:   www.criticallyspeaking.net

Twitter: @CritiSpeak

Email: [email protected]

 

 

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