Update -Tuesday 7 July 2010Update -Tuesday 29 June 2010The George River Water Quality Panel has released its final report. The full report as well as a summary report can be accessed by clicking on this link About the cancer rates Information from the Tasmanian Cancer Registry shows people living in St Helens and the Break O’Day Local Government Area do not have more cancer than other people in Tasmania, when age is taken into account. There is no evidence of cancer clusters or unusual cancer types, rates or trends in St Helens between 1993 and 2007 (the latest data available to date). Data for St Helens and Break O’Day show similar cancer rates to Tasmania as a whole. For more information, see: |
Concerns have been raised through the media about the safety of drinking water in the St Helens area. One of the GPs in the town felt that she was seeing an unusual number and types of illnesses among her patients. This included a feeling that St Helens residents have a higher rate of cancers and some less common cancer types than people living elsewhere. She is concerned there could be a link between the local water quality and a perceived increase in health problems.
Reliable data exist for cancers in Tasmania, from the Tasmanian Cancer Registry.
People living in the Break O’Day area (which includes St Helens) do not have more cancer than people living elsewhere.
The concern about cancer rates in St Helens was investigated after it was first raised in 2004. The Tasmanian Cancer Registry looked closely at cancers diagnosed in the area from 1998 to 2002. Nothing unusual was found in either the rate or pattern of cancer types in the area.
More recent data from the Tasmanian Cancer Registry for 2002 to 2006 show no evidence that people in the Break O’Day area have cancer at higher rates than people elsewhere in Tasmania. For all types of cancer (males and females combined), 194 cancer cases were seen in Break O’Day during this five year period. This was less than the 203.9 that were expected, based on Tasmanian trends – taking into account the local population size and age distribution.
Preliminary cancer data for 2007 (the latest available) also show no indication of rising cancer rates in the area.
In relation to rare cancer types, it was claimed on Australian Story in February 2010 that there were only 18 cases of Waldenstrom's Anaemia (macroglobulinaemia) in Australia, with two cases in the St Helens area. Cancer Registry data shows that Tasmania has had 45 cases diagnosed over the past 20 years (two from the Break O’Day area) – and the incidence rate for 2002 to 2006 is very similar to mainland Australia.
Concerns about the quality of the untreated George River water (which supplies the St Helens drinking water) are being investigated by an independent panel of experts from across Australia (see www.georgeriverwater.org.au). In the meantime an extra step has been added temporarily to the water treatment process as a precaution.
No scientific evidence has been presented at this stage to confirm the drinking water in St Helens was unsafe for human health before this precaution was taken.
However, the concerns are being taken seriously and significant work is underway to examine them.
Recently published information
Letter posted to St Helens residents, 6 July 2010Is untreated river water safe to drink?(6 July 2010)
St Helens: high rates of cancer or not? Q&A 29 June 2010
Letter posted to all St Helens residents - 18 March 2010
George River Water Quality Frequently Asked Questions - 18 March 2010
Letter posted to all St Helens residents - 4 March 2010
Letter posted to all St Helens residents - 25 February 2010
Information Sheet - 1 March 2010
Letter posted to all St Helens residents - 25 February 2010
Media Statement - 25 February 2010
Media Statement – 23 February 2010
Media Statement – 22 February 2010
Initial response to concerns raised on Australian Story – 15 February 2010
For more information about the health aspects of this issue,
please phone 1800 671 738 (free call except from mobile phones).
Background information
- January 2010, Cancer Incidence in Break O'Day Area [PDF 95.1KB]. (Note that Table 1 in this attachment has been scanned from the Tasmanian Cancer Registry reportCancer in Tasmania Incidence and Mortality 2006. Grey highlighting has reproduced as black in the scanned version of the table. The report can be found in full on the Tasmanian Cancer Registry website.)
- March 2005, a letter from the Director of Public Health to the Break O’Day Council. The letter informs the Council of the conclusion of health-related investigations carried out by DHHS in relation to concerns about safety concerns raised by the Council. The letter includes the opinion provided by Dr Malcolm Sim (see below).
- March 2005, a letter from Monash University epidemiologist Dr Malcolm Sim to the Director of Public Health. The letter is in response to a request for an opinion about patients with neurological problems in St Helens in Tasmania.
- October 2004, a summary of steps taken by the DHHS Public and Environmental Health Service in response to a concern expressed by Dr Alison Bleaney (General Practitioner), about an unusual number (possible cluster) of patients with neurological conditions attending her practice.
- September 2004,a letter to Dr Bleaney and a report produced by Public and Environmental Health Service (DHHS) in response to Dr Bleaney's concerns of a high rate of connective tissue disease in her local area and a possible increase in blood cancers. The letter to Dr Bleaney addresses several other health concerns raised and describes the regulatory context for chemicals in water catchments and drinking water quality management.