New study links Texas oil refineries at high cancer risk



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People who live near oil refineries are at increased risk of cancer, a new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) has found.

Proximity to an oil refinery was associated with an increased risk of several types of cancer, according to the findings of the multi-year study carried out by a team of doctors, environmental scientists and UTMB students.

The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, found statistically significant increases in several types of cancer in people living very close to oil refineries in Texas.

Most of the previous studies on a possible link between proximity to oil refineries and cancer risk have been conducted outside the United States, the team in the study said, adding that they wanted to test the hypothesis. of an increased risk of cancer for different types of cancer according to proximity to an oil refinery in Texas.

The team used, reviewed, and analyzed data from the Texas Cancer Registry and US Census Data between 2001 and 2014 to compare rates of bladder, breast, colon, lung, lymphoma, and prostate cancer in people within 30 miles of active Texas oil refineries.

“The team observed that proximity to an oil refinery was associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer diagnosis for all types of cancer. People living within 10 miles of an active refinery were more likely to have advanced disease or metastatic disease, ”the UTMB said in a statement Monday.

“Based on data from the US Census Bureau, there are over 6.3 million people over the age of 20 who reside within a 30 mile radius of 28 active refineries in Texas,” said Dr. Stephen Williams, head of urology and full professor of urology and radiology at UTMB and co-author of the study.

“Our findings are important and certainly support the need for further investigation at the individual level into the risks of carcinogenesis associated with proximity to an oil refinery. This definitely warrants further investigation, including epidemiological fieldwork, as these findings are not causal, ”Williams said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for OilUSD

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