Objectives : Fluoridation of drinking water is known to decrease dental caries, particularly in children. However, the harmful effect of fluoridated water on cancer are still in controversy over several decades. To assess the risk of cancer related t...
Objectives : Fluoridation of drinking water is known to decrease dental caries, particularly in children. However, the harmful effect of fluoridated water on cancer are still in controversy over several decades. To assess the risk of cancer related to water fluoridation, We evaluated the cancer mortality rates between some fluoridated cities and non-fluoridated cities in Korea.
Methods : Cheongju and Jinhae were chosen as fluoridated areas and Chungju, Chuncheon, Wonju as non-fluoridated areas for the study. We compared the age-standardized mortality rates from specific cancer deaths including stomach, colorectal, liver, pancreas, lung, breast, and cervical cancers in South Korea from 1998 through 2005, using registered death data obtained from the Korea National Statistical Office.
The mortality rates were directly standardized with 5-year age groups, using the average age distribution from 1998 to 2005 in the South Korean population. All analyses were performed separately for men and women. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS12.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Science).
Results : The age-standardized mortality rates in Jinhae were higher than average rate of Korea and non-fluoridation cities, and specific cancer mortality rates were also higher in Jinhae except for stomach and colorectal cancer in male, and colorectal and pancreas cancer in female. However, other fluoridaton city, Cheongju did not show the similar pattern with Jinhae. The mortality rates of Cheongju were lower or similar to the average rate of Korea. And only colorectal cancer among seven cancers studied showed higher mortality rates than other non-fluoridated areas. There was no increasing trend and no consistency of cancer mortalities in fluoridated areas.
Conclusion : Our study does not support the suggestion that fluoridation of water supplies is associated with an increase in cancer mortality in Korea in spite of higher cancer mortality in Jinhae city.
Key words: Fluoridation; Drinking water; Cancer; Mortality;