*******************************************************

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1324
[ corrected ] PR blitz abuses science, re NCI 15 minute talk 2006.04.04
at American Association of Cancer Research on cancer and diet data
from 1995 to 2000 on 566,990 people, claiming no cancers
from low level aspartame use: Murray 2006.04.07

A desperate crew of pirates, becalmed, about out of ammo,
and leaking badly for months,
with the Navy boring inexorably down,
have no recourse but to blow mightily and hotly on their own sails.


The NCI abstract in fact admits a statistically significant, but weak,
negative correlation:

"... brain cancer (RR for > 400 mg/day vs. none = 0.74,
95% CI = 0.49, 1.13, P trend = 0.03), in men or women."
[ RR = Relative Risk ]

[ http://www.childrensmercy.org/stats/definitions/or.htm "Relative Risk"

Duh, my bias led me astray yesterday in the earlier version of this post,
for I mistook 0.74 as a positive correlation, showing that aspartame
correlates with brain cancer, whereas in fact, it means a weak negative
correlation. For instance, a RR = 2.00 means twice as much risk for
the factor being tested, RR = 1.00 means no change in risk,
whereas a RR of 0.50 means half as much risk.
Experts would have to study the entire study in great detail to assess
just what this surprising weak negative correlation might mean,
if anything. Real science is always full of untidy details,
that give a lot of experts plenty to talk about. ]

The November release of the Ramazzini results added two more
types of cancers, not mentioned in their July release,
and therefore not answered by the NCI study:

"3) in females, dysplastic lesions and carcinomas
of the renal pelvis and ureter combined
show a significant positive trend (p<0.01)
and a statistically significant increase in those treated
at 100,000 (p<0.01), 50,000 (p<0.01), 10,000 (p<0.01),
2,000 (p<0.05) and 400 (p<0.05) ppm;

and 4) an increased incidence of malignant schwannomas of the
peripheral nerves with a positive trend (p<0.05) in males.

The increase in lymphomas-leukemias in APM-treated females
could be related to its metabolite methanol,
which is in turn metabolized to formaldehyde in both humans and rats

page - 19 -

(Ranney et al. 1976)."


Carol Guilford told me another factor, namely, a major symptom of
aspartame (formaldehyde) toxicity is poor memory, which would bias
the data survey about food consumption.
carolguilford@... Moderator of 980 member group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/


http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/120/113898.htm

Aspartame-Cancer Link Refuted
Findings May Help to Alleviate Concerns
Raised by Rat Study Last Year
By Charlene Laino
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
on Tuesday, April 04, 2006

"..... Findings Somewhat Reassuring

Michael Jacobson, head of the consumer watchdog group
Center for Science in the Public Interest,
says the findings are somewhat reassuring.

Jacobson, who had pushed for a government review of aspartame's
safety after the rat study was published, says,
"The new study is in humans and goes a long way
toward alleviating many concerns."

That said, the study design was subject to so-called recall bias,
as participants were asked to remember what they drank and
how much they drank, he says.
"If their recollections weren't accurate, it compromises the findings,"
Jacobson tells WebMD.

Lim acknowledges the point.
She says that is one reason why she is not ready to make any public
health recommendations about aspartame consumption at this time.
"This is a first step," she tells WebMD.
"We need to verify the findings and also study possible links
between the sweetener and other cancers as well." "



Any brief communication at a scientific meeting is not vetted ahead of
time by fierce, astute peer review, as in the case of a formal report,
printed in a mainstream journal. Speakers at these brief talks do
their best to give the gist of their results, often with humor and an
engaging modesty, for they welcome and really listen to frank, expert,
experienced, blunt feedback and pointed questioning, as well as
appreciation and encouragement. They know well that no scientist will
be respected who fails to attend to criticism, or who holds to startments
that exceed the evidence. Certainly, any scientist who shows signs of
subservience to vested interests will be scorned, most often silently.

Wolves run freely in highly competitive packs,
with the best as natural leaders.

Docile dogs, perhaps well fed, cluster compliantly at the feet of their
masters, their necks in choke collars with short leashes. Their masters
keep them in special kennels, and display them in carefully organized
pretend science events and imitation science journals. Their articles have
a characteristic listless, pious, boring, complacent tone, self-righteous
and self-satisfied, puffy, dull, for, indeed, it's a dog's life. Naturally,
no scientist wants to admit that they are a dog.
No, no, I'm a wolf, they wimper.
But the difference is as obvious as that between real democracy
and actual totalitarianism.
Wolves lead, dogs follow. Wolves question, dogs answer.
Wolves upset the apple cart. Dogs never rock the boat.

When the eminent, fully independent Ramazzini Foundation, led by
Morando Soffritti, announced the results of their 3-year lifetime study
on 1800 of their standard rats, used in dozens of similar tests for
decades, previous results always heralded by toxicologists worldwide,
they made a full report available on the Net, detailed the intimate
collaboration of the USA National Toxicology Program, stated that
7 peer reviewers had checked their claims, and in Dcember published
an expanded account in the NTP official scientific journal, as well as
supplying the Food SafetyAgency of the European Union with a
thousand pages of their raw data. Here, we have a fine pack of wolves.

No independent expert toxicologists have published negative reviews.

Yet their solid findings, actually matters of life and death,
had no major press in the USA until the remarkable, unprecedented,
detailed full-page aspartame expose by Melanie Warner
in The New York Times, Sunday, February 12.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1302
The Lowdown on Sweet? (Ramazzini Foundation, M Soffritti proof that
aspartame causes cancers), Melanie Warner, The New York Times:
Murray 2006.02.12

For decades, the media watchdogs have, with regard to aspartame,
been as fierce and alert as a pile of fawning, yapping puppies.
There's been a lot of "dogmatization" of both media and science.

So, it is quite a spectacle to see the publication by over 158 sources,
major newspapers and TV networks, within three days,
as listed by Google News:
"Federal study rejects aspartame risks,"
and, rarely and slightly more accurately,
"Big federal study suggest no cancer risk from sugar substitute."
You know something got all those dogs barking at once all over town.

This is a massive public relations blitz, a highly orchestrated mass
disinformation campaign, serving obvious vested interests.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/health/20060404-1213-diet-aspartame.html

"The new study, by scientists at the National Cancer Institute,
involved 340,045 men and 226,945 women, ages 50 to 69,
participating in a research project [NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study]
by the National Insitutes of Health and AARP,
formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons.

From surveys they filled out in 1995 and 1996 detailing food and
beverage consumption, researchers calculated how much aspartame
they consumed, especially from sodas
or from adding the sweetener to coffee or tea.

Over the next five years, 2,106 developed blood-related cancers such
as lymphoma or leukemia, and 376 developed brain tumors.
No link was found to aspartame consumption for these cancers in
general or for specific types, said Unhee Lim, who reported the study's
findings."

The Calorie Control Council press release proclaims:
"The study, which evaluated more than 500,000 men and women
over a five-year period, found no link
between aspartame consumption
and leukemias, lymphomas and brain tumors."

Note that the cancer data was only reported for the period
1996 to 2000.
It is not clear if estimates were made about aspartame use before 1996.

The abstract in fact admits a stastically significant, but weak, negative
correlation:
"... brain cancer (RR for > 400 mg/day vs. none = 0.74,
95% CI = 0.49, 1.13, P trend = 0.03), in men or women."
[ RR = Relative Risk ]

[ http://www.childrensmercy.org/stats/definitions/or.htm "Relative Risk"

Duh, my bias led me astray yesterday in the earlier version of this post,
for I mistook 0.74 as a positive correlation, showing that aspartame
correlates with brain cancer, whereas in fact, it means a weak negative
correlation. For instance, a RR = 2.00 means twice as much risk for
the factor being tested, RR = 1.00 means no change in risk,
whereas a RR of 0.50 means half as much risk.
Experts would have to study the entire study in great detail to assess
just what this surprising weak negative correlation might mean,
if anything. Good science is full of untidy details,
that give a lot of experts plenty to discuss. ]

Everyone knows that those who smoke one or more packs daily of
cigarettes may only have lung and other cancers decades later -- it is
obvious that cancers in the first 1 to 5 years of use would be rare,
compared to 6 to10 years.
Who will decide when these data are analyzed and made public?
Who will be choosing and funding any such research?

Two prominent Americans who use a dozen cans diet soda daily are
Presidential candidate John Edwards,
and Howard Dean's brilliant campaign manager, Joe Trippi.

It is urgent to present the data for all types of cancers for users at the
level of 6 to 12 cans daily, and also for the multitude of other disorders
from chronic long-term, medium-level formaldehyde exposure:
the most widely reported being headaches, insomnia, joint pain, muscle
spasms, fatigue, poor memory, irritability, confusion, depression,
dizziness, impaired vision, rashes, allergies, fertility and pregnancy
problems, birth defects, and ideopathic seizures.

Many people have had these symptoms for millenia, since dark wines
and liquors convey about the same level of methanol as does diet soda.
It is the body's inevitable conversion of much of this methanol
into formaldehyde and then formic acid, that is the main cause
of the agonizing punishment of "morning after" alcohol hangovers.
The victim is sober, since the alcohol has been processed, but then
the formaldehyde attacks all cells at once -- which is exactly why it is
used for embalming.

The world is entitled to full, immediate, convenient, uncensored, and
free Internet access to the entire database of the publicly funded
NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, and to all similar mass surveys.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1141
Nurses Health Study can quickly reveal the extent of aspartame
(methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid) toxicity: Murray 2004.11.21
Any scientist can get access to this data for free by submitting a proper
research proposal.

The scientists involved may consider asserting their integrity by making
public statements disavowing the shameless misrepresentation of their
findings by ruthless corporations and their PR agencies.
*******************************************************

http://cspinet.org/new/200604041.html

New Aspartame Study May Allay Cancer Concerns:
Statement of CSPI Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson
www.cspinet.org cspi@...; jefferyb@...

The new National Cancer Institute study significantly allays concerns
raised by a recent Italian study that found that modest amounts
of aspartame caused cancer in rats.

However, it's important to note that the people
observed in the new study were only 50 to 69 years old.
In contrast, the Italian researchers
allowed the rats to die a natural death,
equivalent to people living into their 80s, 90s, or older.
If aspartame only causes cancer in truly elderly people,
the new study wouldn't detect a problem.

Also, the new study's means of measuring aspartame consumption --
food-frequency questionnaires -- is imprecise.
That approach is not capable of detecting small increases in cancer rates.
*******************************************************

http://www.ameribev.org/pressroom/2006Apr06Aspartame.asp

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8GPCGOG2.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_\
down&chan=db

The Associated Press/Washington
By Marilynn Marchione AP Medical Writer

[ Making a case against soda (3/5/2006)
Low-fat, low-cal, low-carb. Atkins, South Beach, The Zone.
Food fads may be distracting attention from something more insidiously
piling on pounds: beverages. One of every five calories in the American
diet is liquid. By Marilynn Marchione ]

[ Making Children's Vaccines Mercury Free to reduce autism
Two Sides: Wrangle over autism refuses to subside
Sunday, June 26, 2005 The Associated Press
By Marilynn Marchione and Kristen Gelineau. ]

Federal study rejects aspartame risks

APR. 4 3:25 P.M. ET
A huge federal study in people -- not rats -- takes the fizz out of
arguments that the diet soda sweetener aspartame might raise
the risk of cancer.

No increased risk was seen even among people who gulped down
many artificially sweetened drinks a day, said researchers
who studied the diets of more than half a million older Americans.

A consumer group praised the study,
done by reputable researchers independent of any funding
or ties to industry groups.

"It goes a fair way toward allaying concerns about aspartame,"
said Michael Jacobson,
head of the Center for Science in the Public Interest,
which had urged the government to review the sweetener's safety
after a troubling rat study last year.

Findings were reported Tuesday at a meeting of the
American Association for Cancer Research.

Aspartame came on the market 25 years ago
and is found in thousands of products --
sodas, chewing gum, dairy products and even many medicines.

NutraSweet and Equal are popular brands.

Research in the 1970s linked a different sweetener, saccharin,
to bladder cancer in lab rats.
Although the mechanism by which this occurred does not apply
to people and no human risk was ever documented,
worries about sugar substitutes in general have persisted.

They worsened after Italian researchers last year reported results
of the largest animal study ever done on aspartame,
involving 1,800 lab rats.
Females developed more lymphomas and leukemias on aspartame
than those not fed the sweetener.

The new study, by scientists at the National Cancer Institute,
involved 340,045 men and 226,945 women, ages 50 to 69,
participating in a research project by the
National Insitutes of Health and AARP,
formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons.

From surveys they filled out in 1995 and 1996
detailing food and beverage consumption,
researchers calculated how much aspartame they consumed,
especially from sodas or from adding the sweetener to coffee or tea.

Over the next five years, 2,106 developed blood-related cancers
such as lymphoma or leukemia, and 376 developed brain tumors.

No link was found to aspartame consumption for these cancers
in general or for specific types, said Unhee Lim,
who reported the study's findings.

The dietary information was collected before the cancers developed,
removing the possibility of "memory bias" -- faulty recollection
influenced by knowing you have a disease.

"It's very reassuring. It's a large study with a lot of power,"
said Richard Adamson, a senior science consultant to the
American Beverage Association, the leading industry group.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest
still warns about one potential hazard of aspartame use:
thinking that calories "saved" from using a sugar substitute justify
"spending" more on unhealthy foods.
"Drinking a diet soda at lunch does not mean
it's okay to have a larger dessert at dinner," the group's Web site warns.
------
On the Net:
Aspartame fact sheet:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners

Cancer conference: http://www.aacr.org

Copyright 2005, by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
his material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

A press release from the Calorie Control Council can be found at
www.aspartame.org/NICNIHrelease06.doc

The abstract of the study is below and is available through the
AACR's meeting Web site.
( Unfortunately a direct link is not available. To access the abstract
visit:
http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/?mkey=%7B3B61E356%2D411F%2D435F%2DACCA%2D1\
67F0FDA48AD%7D
Type "aspartame" in the search field
and the first abstract by Lim et al, #4010. )
[ 1. #4010 Prospective study of aspartame-containing beverages
and risk of hematopoietic and brain cancers
Unhee Lim, Amy F. Subar, Traci Mouw, Patricia Hartge,
Lindsay M. Morton, Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon, David S.
Campbell, Albert R. Hollenbeck, Arthur Schatzkin.
National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD,
Information Management Services, Inc., Silver Spring, MD,
AARP, Washington, DC

Minisymposium: Diet and Cancer Risk ]

Prospective study of aspartame-containing beverages
and risk of hematopoietic and brain cancers

Unhee Lim, ul10@... ; limu@... ;
Amy F. Subar, subara@...;
Traci Mouw, mouw0003@...;
Patricia Hartge, hartgep@...;
Lindsay M. Morton, mortonli@...;
Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon, stolzenr@...;
David S. Campbell, [ IMSI, computer support ]
Albert R. Hollenbeck, AHollenbeck@...;
Arthur Schatzkin. schatzka@...;
National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD,
Information Management Services, Inc.,
Silver Spring, MD, AARP, Washington, DC

A recent laboratory investigation found that female rats fed aspartame
developed more lymphomas and leukemias than controls,
in a dose-dependent manner,
starting from a dose that may be relevant to human intake
(as low as 20 mg per kg body weight).

Another study previously suggested a potential link to brain cancer
based on an animal experiment and ecological correlations.

We examined aspartame-containing beverage consumption
in relation to incident hematopoietic and brain cancers
among 340,045 men and 226,945 women aged 50-69 years
in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.

The self-administered baseline food frequency questionnaire
queried regarding consumption frequency and "diet" type preference
of three potentially aspartame-containing beverages
(soda, fruit drinks, and iced tea)
as well as aspartame added to coffee and hot tea.

From the responses,
we computed daily consumption of aspartame,
taking into account aspartame content,
portion size, and intake frequency of each beverage.

Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI)
were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression
that adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index
(BMI: weight in kilograms / height in meters squared;
4 categories of >18.5 and <25, >25 and <30, >30 and <35, and >35),
and history of diabetes and smoking.

During up to 5 years of follow-up (1995-2000),
histologically-confirmed hematopoietic cancers (N = 2,106)
and brain cancers (N = 376) were ascertained by linkage
with state cancer registry of eight study areas.

Compared with no consumption of aspartame-containing beverages,
increasing levels of consumption were not associated with any risk
of overall hematopoietic cancer
(adjusted RR for > 600mg/day vs. none = 0.93,
95% CI = 0.72, 1.19, P trend = 0.75)

or brain cancer (RR for > 400mg/day vs. none = 0.74,
95% CI = 0.49, 1.13, P trend = 0.03),

in men or women.

The association remained null for main subtypes of lymphoid cancers
(Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma)
and the non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes
(small lymphocytic lymphoma
and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, immunoblastic lymphoma
and lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia)
and non-lymphoid leukemias reported in the previous animal study.

These findings did not change materially with further adjustments for
education, family history of cancer, physical activity, alcohol, caffeine,
and other dietary and lifestyle risk factors.

Our findings from this epidemiologic study suggest that consumption
of aspartame-containing beverages does not raise the risk
of hematopoietic [ leukemias and lymphomas ] or brain malignancies.

97th AACR Annual Meeting April 1-5, 2006 Washington, DC

Copyright © 2006 American Association for Cancer Research.
All rights reserved.
Citation format: Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res 2006;47: [4010].
*******************************************************

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1250
aspartame causes cancer in rats at levels approved for humans,
Morando Soffritti et al, Ramazzini Foundation, Italy & National
Toxicology Program of National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences 2005.11.17 Env. Health Pers. 35 pages: Murray

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/8711/8711.pdf 35 pages

[ Selection ]

In fact, the results indicate that APM causes, in our experimental
conditions:

1) an increased incidence of malignant tumor-bearing animals
with a positive significant trend
in males (p<0.05) and in females (p<0.01),
particularly in the females treated at 50,000 ppm (p,0.01);

2) a statistically significant dose-related increase of the incidence of
lymphomas-leukemias in females treated at the doses
of 100,000 (p<0.01), 50,000 (p<0.01), 10,000 (p<0.05),
2,000 (p<0.05) and 400 (p<0.01) ppm
and a positive significant trend
in both males (p<0.05) and females (p<0.01);

3) in females, dysplastic lesions and carcinomas
of the renal pelvis and ureter combined
show a significant positive trend (p<0.01)
and a statistically significant increase in those treated
at 100,000 (p<0.01), 50,000 (p<0.01), 10,000 (p<0.01),
2,000 (p<0.05) and 400 (p<0.05) ppm;

and 4) an increased incidence of malignant schwannomas of the
peripheral nerves with a positive trend (p<0.05) in males.

The increase in lymphomas-leukemias in APM-treated females
could be related to its metabolite methanol,
which is in turn metabolized to formaldehyde in both humans and rats

page - 19 -

(Ranney et al. 1976).

In fact, previous experiments performed at the CMCRC Laboratory
have shown that:

1) methanol administered in drinking water, at doses ranging from 20,000
to 500 ppm, induced a statistically significant increase in the incidence of
lymphomasleukemias in female rats, (Soffritti et al. 2002a);

2) a dose-related increase in the incidence of lymphomas-leukemias
was also observed in females treated with formaldehyde,
administered in drinking water at doses ranging from 1,500 to 50 ppm
(Soffritti et al. 1989; Soffritti et al. 2002b);

and 3) the same effect was observed in females treated with the
gasoline oxygenated additive methyl-tert-butyl-ether (MTBE), which
metabolizes to methanol (Belpoggi et al. 1995).

The important role of formaldehyde in the induction of hematological
malignancies in rodents is further highlighted by these results.

In a recent re-evaluation of the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
strong (although not considered sufficient) evidence
of an association between formaldehyde exposure and leukemias
in humans was found (IARC, in press).

Moreover, carcinogenic effects for the renal pelvis and ureter,
peripheral nerves and proliferative changes of the olfactory epithelium
were not observed in the long-term bioassays performed
in the same conditions at the CMCRC
on methanol, MTBE or formaldehyde.

To investigate if the other two metabolites of APM are responsible in
inducing these lesions,
it is of paramount importance to perform adequate life-span
carcinogenicity studies on aspartic acid or phenylalanine.

It is worthy of note that,
in a long-term carcinogenicity study on monosodium aspartate (MSA)
administered with drinking water
to groups of 50 male and 50 female Fischer-344 rats
(beginning at 6 weeks of age for 100 weeks and then sacrificed),
a dose-related

page - 20 -

hyperplasia of the renal pelvis was observed
in males and in females (Kitahori et al. 1996).

The same effect was found, by the same group of investigators,
in another study in which MSA was administered in drinking water
to groups of male and female Fischer-344 rats
to evaluate its promoting activity of carcinogenesis
of the transitional epithelium of the renal pelvis (Kitamura et al. 1996).

In both studies, clear evidence was provided of a relationship
between MSA treatment and transitional cell hyperplasia.
The authors indicated that calcification could have an important role
in inducing simple and papillary hyperplasia of
the renal pelvis transitional cell epithelium and,
consequently, in the induction of transitional cell tumors.

In our study, performed on 1,800 Sprague-Dawley rats,
which are less susceptible to the spontaneous development
of nephropathies than Fischer rats,
we observed a dose-related, statistically significant increase
in the incidence of dysplastic hyperplasia and carcinoma
of the renal pelvis in females, but none in males,
when compared to the controls.

The fact that we observed an increased incidence of kidney
calcification in females and not in males,
when compared to the controls, gives added weight
to the hypothesis that aspartic acid
may cause preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the renal pelvis,
and that calcification may be the mechanism responsible for this effect.

The carcinogenic effects of APM observed in our experiment
are in contrast with the results obtained with long-term carcinogenicity
bioassays, performed almost 30 years ago,
on Sprague-Dawley rats, which did not reveal APM
to have any carcinogenic effects (FDA, 1981).

There are several reasons which can explain this difference.

First of all, in our experiment the number of animals per sex per group
was much greater, allowing a more thorough and reliable statistical
analysis.

Secondly, in our experiment,
rodents were not killed at 110 weeks of age,
but rather were observed until natural death,
to allow APM to

page - 21 -

fully express its carcinogenic potential.

Had we stopped the experiments at 110 weeks of age,
we would most likely never have demonstrated
the carcinogenicity of important industrial compounds
such as, xylenes, mancozeb, vinyl acetate monomer
(Soffritti et al. 2002c) and toluene (Soffritti 2004).

Finally, concerning the absence of carcinogenic effects observed in the
experiment performed on Wistar rats (Ishii 1981; Ishii et al. 1981),
it cannot be disregarded that this strain
is more resistant than Sprague-Dawley rats to developing cancer,
a characteristic shown in our experiments on benzene
(Maltoni et al. 1989).

Moreover, the aforementioned experiment on Wistar rats
was terminated at the age of 110 weeks.
Given these differences, the results of the Wistar rat study
are not comparable with those performed on Spague-Dawley rats.

[ End of selection ]
*******************************************************


"The study is expected to yield nearly 4,000 incident breast,
over 4,000 incident colorectal, over 10,000 incident prostate,
approximately 900 pancreatic and over 400 ovarian cancers by 2003."

http://dceg.cancer.gov/people/SchatzkinArthur.html

NCI-AARP Diet and Health Study
The NCI-American Association of Retired Persons
Diet and Health Study,
comprising over 560,000 men and women in the United States,
was designed to overcome specific methodologic limitations of previous
epidemiologic studies of diet and cancer.
The large cohort exhibits substantial dietary heterogeneity
for major nutrients and foods,
thereby circumventing the narrow intake range
in many previous study populations.
The prospective study design avoids the dietary recall bias
that limits case-control studies.
Also, its large size offsets, at least partially, the attenuation
in relative risk resulting from dietary measurement error.
The study uses a new food frequency questionnaire
based on cognitive psychologic principles
and extensive focus-group testing.
In order to characterize qualitatively and quantitatively
the error structure of the new dietary assessment instrument,
we incorporated a calibration study of approximately 2,000
participants who completed multiple food records
along with repeated food frequency questionnaires.
The large study size also facilitates the evaluation of interactions
among dietary factors and environmental exposures
or host characteristics.
The study is expected to yield nearly 4,000 incident breast,
over 4,000 incident colorectal, over 10,000 incident prostate,
approximately 900 pancreatic and over 400 ovarian cancers by 2003.
*******************************************************


http://dceg.cancer.gov/people/SchatzkinArthur.html
Arthur Schatzkin, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Chief of the Nutritional Epidemiology Branch and Senior Investigator
Location: Executive Plaza South, Room 3040
Phone: 301-594-2931 Fax: 301-496-6829 schatzka@...;


Albert R. Hollenbeck, Knowledge Management,
AARP, 601 E. Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20049. E-mail: AHollenbeck@...;
Constance Swank, Ph.D., AARP Research Group, 202-434-6173
Albert R. Hollenbeck, Ph.D., AARP Research Group, 202-434-6280


www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_leadershipdirectory_ENU_HTML.htm?I\
D=2356792
Leadership Directory Amy F Subar, PhD MPH RD.
Home: 11709 Greenlane Dr Potomac, MD 20854-3514
subara@...;
Home : 301/299-5703 Office : 301/594-0831


http://dceg.cancer.gov/people/HartgePatricia.html
Patricia Hartge
Deputy Director, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program
Location: 6120 Executive Boulevard , EPS Room 8090
Phone: 301-496-7887 Fax: 301-402-8229 hartgep@...;
Dr. Lindsay M. Morton,
Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch,
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics,
National Cancer Institute,
6120 Executive Boulevard, EPS/7055, Rockville, MD 20852
mortonli@...


http://dceg.cancer.gov/people/StolzenbergSolomonRachael.html
Rachael Solomon Stolzenberg, Ph.D. Investigator
Location: Executive Plaza South, Room 8050
Phone: 301-496-8106 Fax: 301-402-0081
stolzenr@...;


David S. Campbell (IMS Inc., Silver Spring, MD) for computer support


Dr. Patricia A. Cassano, Division of Nutritional Sciences,
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 pac6@...
*******************************************************

Calorie Control Council www.CalorieControl.org
5775 Peacetree-Dunwoody Rd., Bldg. G., Ste. 500
Atlanta, GA 30342 ccc@...
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For Immediate Release
contact: Beth Hubrich, MS, RD 404-252-3663

New NIH/NCI Study Confirms Safety of Aspartame

Five-Year, Government Funded, Epidemiology Study Shows No Risk
Between Aspartame and Cancer

ATLANTA (April 4, 2006) -
A new epidemiology study from the National Cancer Institute confirms
previous study conclusions that there is no link between aspartame
consumption and leukemias, lymphomas and brain tumors.

The study, presented at the American Association of Cancer Research
meeting in Washington, D.C., evaluated over 500,000 men and women
between the ages of 50 and 69 over a five-year period.

The researchers found
(compared with those who did not consume aspartame)
that there was no evidence of an increased risk of leukemias, lymphomas
and brain tumors among those who use aspartame.

The researchers report,
"Our findings from this epidemiologic study suggest that consumption
of aspartame-containing beverages does not raise the risk of
hematopoietic or brain malignancies."

The study confirms the findings of a recent 2005 report,
Review of Lymphatic and Hematopoietic Cancer Incidence
Trends & Consumption of Aspartame, in which researchers concluded,
upon examining cancer trends from the National Cancer Institute's
Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program
there is no consistent pattern (of leukemias or lymphomas)
that parallels the rise in aspartame consumption.
[ http://www.aspartametruth.net/ramazzini/news_005.html
Source: Health Sciences Practice, Exponent, Inc. -- not a published
peer-reviewed study, but appears valid ]

Further, the findings also support those of three recent animal studies
conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) designed to
evaluate whether aspartame is capable of causing cancer.

These U.S. government-funded and managed studies were conducted
using Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).

The results of these cancer studies, in which aspartame was fed to mice
bred to be especially sensitive to cancer-causing agents,
unequivocally indicated that
"there was no evidence of carcinogenic activity [cancer] of aspartame."

Prior to aspartame's approval, four long-term carcinogenicity studies
(twice the number needed for regulatory approval),
conducted in accordance with international standards,
found no relationship between aspartame and any form of cancer.
The studies were submitted to numerous regulatory agencies,
such as the FDA, which conducted exhaustive reviews of the data.

"Despite allegations by critics, this new NCI study, in conjunction with
a multitude of other scientific studies, clearly demonstrates that
aspartame is not a carcinogen
and can be a beneficial and safe tool in helping people reduce calories
and control their weight.
On the other hand, obesity has been shown to be directly related to
certain types of cancer,"
noted Lyn Nabors, President of the Calorie Control Council.

Aspartame is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and
phenylalanine, as the methyl ester. [ sic ]
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are found naturally
in protein containing foods, including meats, grains and dairy products.
Methyl esters are also found naturally in many foods
such as fruits and vegetable and their juices.
The body handles the components from aspartame in the same way it
handles them when derived from other foods.

Aspartame has been determined to be safe by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and other scientific and regulatory authorities
worldwide.
In addition to the FDA, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives
(JECFA) of the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture
Organization, the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Union
and regulatory agencies in more than 100 countries
have reviewed aspartame and found it to be safe for use.

For more information please visit www.aspartame.org
# # #
The Calorie Control Council, established in 1966, is an international
non-profit association representing the low-calorie and reduced-fat food
and beverage industry.
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1316
PubMed abstract: aspartame (methanol becoming formaldehyde) causes
many cancers in rats, Ramazzini Foundation, M Soffritti et al:
Murray 2006.03.06

http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/8711/8711.html free full text

Environ Health Perspect. 2006 Mar; 114(3): 379-85.
First experimental demonstration of the multipotential carcinogenic
effects of aspartame administered in the feed to sprague-dawley rats.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Esposti DD,
Lambertini L, Tibaldi E, Rigano A.
Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center, European Ramazzini
Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences, Bologna, Italy.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1189
Michael F Jacobson of CSPI now and in 1985 re aspartame toxicity,
letter to FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford; California OEHHA
aspartame critique 2004.03.12; Center for Consumer Freedom
denounces CSPI: Murray 2004.07.27

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1307
formaldehyde from 11% methanol part of aspartame or from red wine
causes same toxicity (hangover) harm: Murray 2006.04.06

"Of course, everyone chooses, as a natural priority,
to actively find, quickly share, and positively act upon the facts
about healthy and safe food, drink, and environment."

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
group with 151 members, 1,324 posts in a public, searchable archive
http://RMForAll.blogspot.com http://AspartameNM.blogspot.com

Dark wines and liquors, as well as aspartame, provide
similar levels of methanol, above 120 mg daily, for
long-term heavy users, 2 L daily, about 6 cans.

Within hours, methanol is inevitably largely turned into formaldehyde,
and thence largely into formic acid -- the major causes of the dreaded
symptoms of "next morning" hangover.

Fully 11% of aspartame is methanol -- 1,120 mg aspartame
in 2 L diet soda, almost six 12-oz cans, gives 123 mg
methanol (wood alcohol). If 30% of the methanol is turned
into formaldehyde, the amount of formaldehyde, 37 mg,
is 18.5 times the USA EPA limit for daily formaldehyde in
drinking water, 2.0 mg in 2 L average daily drinking water.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1143
methanol (formaldehyde, formic acid) disposition: Bouchard M
et al, full plain text, 2001: substantial sources are
degradation of fruit pectins, liquors, aspartame, smoke:
Murray 2005.04.02

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1106
hangover research relevant to toxicity of 11% methanol in aspartame
(formaldehyde, formic acid): Calder I (full text): Jones AW:
Murray 2004.08.05 rmforall
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