[tonyfParticipant]

Hi, don’t wish to insult anyone but would hazard a guess the gentleman was late 60’s early 70. The young lady would be mid 70,s, hope I am not insulting anyone. Both spoke about the airbase and how it was guarded by armed guards! The gent talked about the pet food factory. I also noted that Radon is present in the ground around Melton, but then Radon seems to be in many parts of the UK.
I wonder if the university would think about following this up! I will talk to different people at my next clinic visit.
Hope everyone is doing ok, and enjoying this fine weather spell.
Regards
Tony F

[jeff605Participant]

Hi, Tony the big problem of course is that we don’t know what causes Myeloma, so really have no starting point.Yes there was a Thor missile site just outside Melton, and as I think I mentioned previously, many of those I know with Myeloma worked at the petfood factory. I have wondered if it would be possible to get some idea of the total numbers involved who developed Myeloma who worked in the factory – i.e. production workers, etc. I was very much maintenance orientated.The consultants have shown only slight interest when I have mentioned the numbers involved and that many of us worked together. Jeff

[dickbParticipant]

Hi Jeff,

I still wonder wether the fact that a number of you worked in the same department of the factory is just coincidence. My reason being that in the 60’s and 70’s that company was a major employer in the town if not the biggest. Now if it were the common link, the next question would be what processes where you involved in and what chemicals were you using. Being a food manufacturer I would guess that some of the cleaning agents used were very strong and that as part of any routine maintenance, cleaning of equipment was a neccesity. Did you use any cleaning agents such as Trichloroethylene or Methalethylketone for degreasing and cleaning machinery? I still wonder wether the location of the town rather than a specific workplace is more relevant.

Tony, The airfield at Dalby would have been protected by armed guards as a matter of course. Every airfield in the UK and overseas during the 80’s had armed guards because of the threat from the IRA. I still doubt there was an escape of radioactive material from the station as there would be a high incidence of other cancers and illnesses related to Radiation sickness.

Now Mathew Callaghan I believe is still influential in the town and he was good at stirring things up in the past when on the council, David Wilson Homes on Dalby Airfield, Protected status for Melton Mowbrat Pork Pies, perhaps he might do a bit of digging. Ignore his politics and see if he is interested.

[jeff605Participant]

Hi, Dick, The fact that struck me regarding the incidence of Myeloma among my workmates was that this cancer is recognised as being a rare classification, to have this many of us with it in a group where not all of us lived in Melton, the commonality seeming to be where we worked, seems significant. As you say, this may well be a coincidence. I suspect it would probable be put down to a statistical ” blip “, it would certainly be interesting to have it investigated by a more scientific mind than mine !! Jeff

[Anonymous]

Well, Myeloma is the one of the most most common cancer in (2011), accounting for around 1% of all new cases. In males, it is amongst thecommon cancer (2% of the male total) and less in females (1%).

[jeff605Participant]

Hi, if what you say is right, I stand corrected, I understood that Myeloma was one of the rarer cancers, so perhaps my thinking that there is a high incidence in my area is mistaken too.Jeff

[dickbParticipant]

Hi, interesting point michellew, suggest you look at these sites:
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/keyfacts/myeloma/
http://publications.cancerresearchuk.org/downloads/Product/CS_KF_MYELOMA.pdf
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/types/myeloma/.

Suggest that these figures show that it is uncommen (Incidence of 6.6 /100,000 of population compared to 104.7 for Prostrate Cancer. Source Cancer UK)

[PerkymiteParticipant]

Hi Michellew, Slightly confused 2% of all newly diagnosed cases of cancer? Does that mean 98% of all cancers are other cancers? If that is the case then Myeloma is surely a rare cancer, which is what I have always understood. Approximately 4,000 pepole being diagnosed a year is the standard figure I believe.

What about the other long time theory that it is more common in the coloured population, people of African descent, than European white. Why I wonder?

Kindest regards – vasbyte

David

[jeff605Participant]

Hi,Still confused as to the position of Myeloma in the rarity scale.I have realised that the calculation of expected/actual numbers of suffers from Myeloma in a town like Melton is quite complex ( and I suspect beyond me),taking into consideration of survival times,etc. I have noticed that in the Leics clinic I attend that there is a predomiance of white patients with a comparutively few asian appearing patients and very few of African descent appereance. Well, now need to get back to trying to find out if my 2 month course of Revlimid is actually doing anything positive, no results through from the 1st months reveiw!! As though there’s not enouth to worry about “routinely” with having Myeloma!! Jeff

[dickbParticipant]

Hi Jeff,

hope the news is good with the Revlimid. Don’t know enough about it to offer true optimism but my medics believe in it.

[jeff605Participant]

Dick, thanks for that, I’m living in hope over the Revlimid, comments seem mainly optimistic. Jeff

[jeff605Participant]

Hi,Richard quick update, I went to the clinic with my daughter – she is under investigation for high protien levels, but there is some doubt this is Myeloma – and as I was on the 6 week of Dex/Revlimid but had had no results to know if it was working I asked the consultant if she could look up my results which she did. Paraprotein down to 8, the lowest it’s been since I started the rollercoaster ride !! That’s from 29, so I am encouraged by this drop. Also feeling pretty fit too,and have been told that there are two in front of me waiting for a vertobroplasty. Jeff

[StanstanParticipant]

Hi Jeff
We were living in a village on the Isle of Wight when Charlie was diagnosed. We knew at least 4 people in the village with Myeloma and many more across the Island. When we moved back to Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, we registered at the doctors, he had 2 students from Cambridge with him at our consultation, he said to them, I will only see 3 cases of Myeloma in my career as a doctor, we were confused. We then moved to our new home in Bedfordshire, with exactly the same reaction, they do not have a clue about Myeloma. The doctors on the Isle of Wight were brilliant, knew exactly what they were dealing with. We asked Southampton General why, on the Island, there are so many but if you come up to more populated,one would presume, knowledgable areas, they are clueless. There must be some reason. We had no explanation.

Love Charlie and Mary x

[jeff605Participant]

I expect this would be put down to a ” statistical blip ” but I don’t believe it. The group I have been referring to has increased by another two ex – workmates. I can’t quite see why there should be such variations in areas of sparse occurrence and the high incidence groups. I can’t explain it either !! Oh, and the Revlimid is still working, p/p down to 6.4, my lowest yet. Mind it caused a bit of ” oh dear ” when the doctor’s letter stated Neutrofils down to 0.7. Turned out to be a typo, should have been 3.7 !! Jeff

[StanstanParticipant]

Hi Jeff

There has to be some common denominator. A friend of ours who investigated it in depth, while she was suffering from it, felt it was plastics and would have nothing with plastic at all. That is so difficult these days.
Don’t know, chemicals or areas. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to work it out.

X x

[Author]

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