Oncologists in Basra are seeing two new phenomena among cancer patients in their city.  The first is multiple primary cancers in single patients -- leukemia and stomach cancer in one person, separate primary cancers in each kidney of another unfortunate patient.  The second is clustering of cancers in families, with over 58 families affected, including one family with nine cancer patients. 

In a speech in Japan, Dr. Jawad Al-Ali, director of the oncology center at the largest hospital in Basra, told the audience that these unprecedented occurrences of cancer are caused by the use of depleted uranium (DU) for bombs and bullets in Iraq -- an estimated 1,700 pounds of it so far at the time of Dr. Al-Ali's speech. 

"Children in particular are susceptible to DU poisoning," Dr. Al-Ali added. "They have a much higher absorption rate as their blood is being used to build and nourish their bones and they have a lot of soft tissues. Bone cancer and leukemia used to be diseases affecting them the most. However, cancer of the lymph system, which can develop anywhere on the body and has rarely been seen before the age of 12, is now also common."

For the full story, see the Chicago Tribune article by Robert Koehler at:

http://commonwonders.com/archives/col352.htm.