ExposureBlog

Back while I was with OSHA I co-authored a paper regarding a cluster of glioblastoma multiforme that showed up in some Texas petrochemical refineries.  The investigation had begun with a phone call about a single case at one chemical plant and before it was over possibly 18 cases were uncovered. The study was ended and eventually turned over to a School of Public Health.  Later, after leaving OSHA I began work on a book about nuclear fallout.  It was around this time that I received a large package in the mail—a three volume set of an NCI publication titled US Cancer Mortality Rates and Trends 1950-1979. 

It had been sent to me by one of the co-authors, Thomas J. Mason, PhD.  I had spoken with Dr. Mason years earlier regarding another cluster investigation in the Missouri-Iowa area, and he was aware of our paper on glioblastoma in Texas. 

The books remained in my library for years, and when the National Cancer Institute published the 1997 I-131/thyroid cancer study I brought it out to compare fallout deposition levels with county-by-county cancer rates during the 1950s through 1970s.  Then, in 2000 while researching my series on Nuclear Testing, I decided to get a backup copy of the Rates and Trends book. I knew that the volumes were referenced at a number of sites, such as here, here and here—and that the series was found in a few isolated libraries such as this one.  But when I checked with Amazon.com, I discovered the series was out of print. 

So, last year, after I had finished up on my series on nuclear testing, I decided to republish the entire series. This involved going back over the pages one by one, removing highlighting, ink and notes.  By February of this year the entire series was ready to be sent to the printer.  Today, the first proof came back, and it looks pretty good.

The entire series will be published as a LEGIS Books imprint of 260Press, and ready for sale by mid-May, 2006.