Fluoridation and cancer: The biology and epidemiology of bone and oral cancer related to fluoridation

Recent studies showing substantial increases in the incidence of bone cancer and osteosarcoma in,males (but not females) exposed to fluoride gave us the unique opportunity of using females as a control group to determine whether there is a link: between fluoridation and bone cancer in males. Using three different data

Revisiting the fluoride-osteosarcoma connection in the context of Elise Bassin's findings: part 2

Fluoride exposure in public drinking water and childhood and adolescent osteosarcoma in Texas.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between fluoride levels in public drinking water and childhood and adolescent osteosarcoma in Texas; to date, studies examining this relationship have been equivocal. Using areas with high and low naturally occurring fluoride, as well as areas with optimal fluoridation,

A brief report on the association of drinking water fluoridation and the incidence of osteosarcoma among young males

Executive Summary It is well known that fluoride provides important public health benefits by effectively preventing dental caries in children. The Public Health Service (1991) endorses artificial fluoridation of drinking water at a concentration of 0.7-1.2 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water (or parts per million) as the optimally beneficial

USA: More About Fluoride.

This excerpt was provided free by Science Direct; the full article requires payment. ... The  supporting  cancer  hazard  evidence  was  an animal  study  sponsored  by  the  government’s  National Toxicology  Program  (Lancet,  Feb  3,  p  282).  Since  then,  the Public  Health  Service  has  responded  to  this  and  similar news  stories  by  reaffirming 

A Critique of Gelberg's Study on Fluoride/Osteosarcoma in New York

The case-control study by Gelberg, published first as a PhD dissertation and then later in two peer-reviewed journals, may represent the most substantive study on fluoride/osteosarcoma previous to Bassin’s 2001 analysis. In assessing Gelberg’s data, we were at first struck by the existence of several notable errors in both the thesis and papers. While these errors do raise questions about the study, our primary concern with Gelberg’s work relates to the methods she used to analyze her data.

Fluoride's Mutagenicity: In vitro Studies

According to the National Toxicology Program, "the preponderance of evidence" from laboratory "in vitro" studies indicate that fluoride is a mutagenic compound. Many substances which are mutagens, are also carcinogens (i.e. they can cause cancer). As is typical for in vitro studies, the concentrations of fluoride that have generally been tested

NTP Bioassay on Fluoride/Cancer (1990)

In 1977, the U.S. Congress requested that animal studies be conducted to determine if fluoride can cause cancer. The result of the Congressional request was an extensive animal study conducted in the 1980s by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and published in 1990. The main finding of NTP's study was a dose-dependent increase in osteosarcoma (bone cancer) among the fluoride-treated male rats. 

Fluoride/Osteosarcoma Link Is Biologically Plausible

The "biological plausiblility" of a fluoride-osteosarcoma link is widely acknowledged in the scientific literature. The biological plausibility centers around three facts: 1) Bone is the principal site of fluoride accumulation, particularly during the growth spurts of childhood; 2) Fluoride is a mutagen when present at sufficient concentrations, and 3) Fluoride can stimulate the proliferation of osteoblasts (bone-forming cells).

Fluoride's Mutagenicity: In vivo Studies

Consistent with dozens of in vitro studies, a number of in vivo studies, in both humans and animals, have found evidence of fluoride-induced genetic damage. In particular, research on humans exposed to high levels of fluoride have found increased levels of "sister chromatid exchange" (SCE). As noted in one study: "In