New South Wales Health says the higher than average cancer rates
among Port Waratah Coal Services workers is most likely due to
chance. In July, Port Waratah Coal Services released a report
conducted by Newcastle University, which found its Kooragang
Island workforce was two times more likely to develop cancer
compared to the state and national populations. The most common
cancers among the workforce were melanoma, prostate and colon
cancer. New South Wales Health has since reviewed the study, and
received advice from international expert in cancer
epidemiology, Professor Bruce Armstrong. He said because "cancer
is relatively common, groups of cancer cases occasionally occur
by chance within small populations". Professor Armstrong said
when there are "a number of unrelated cancers within a group,
their occurrence is most likely coincidental, because different
cancers are generally not caused by the same specific agent".
New South Wales Health says it is prudent PWCS takes the advice
of the University and enga