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The ABC breast cancer cluster: the bad news about a good outcome

Catherine Francis, Trish F Mannes, Leena Gupta and Stephen J Conaty
Med J Aust 2010; 193 (10): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb04082.x
Published online: 15 November 2010

To the Editor: We read with interest the report by Sitas and colleagues about the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) breast cancer cluster investigation.1 After publication of the final report on the ABC cancer cluster,2 the Public Health Unit of Sydney South West Area Health Service undertook a similar investigation.


  • 1 Public Health Unit, Sydney South West Area Health Service, Sydney, NSW.
  • 2 Thames Valley Health Protection Unit, Health Protection Agency, Chilton, Didcot, UK.


Correspondence: guptal@email.cs.nsw.gov.au

  • 1. Sitas F, O’Connell DL, van Kemenade C, et al. Breast cancer risk among female employees of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Australia. Med J Aust 2010; 192: 651-654. <MJA full text>
  • 2. Armstrong B, Aitken J, Sim M, Swan N. Breast cancer at the ABC Toowong Queensland. Final report of the Independent Review and Scientific Investigation Panel. 2007. http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/documents/Breast_Cancer_Toowong_Final_Report.pdf (accessed Oct 2010).
  • 3. Sydney South West Area Health Service Public Health Unit. Investigation of possible breast cancer cluster in women working at Concord Hospital. Final report. Sydney: SSWAHS, 2007.
  • 4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and National Breast Cancer Centre. Breast cancer in Australia: an overview, 2006. Canberra: AIHW, 2006. (AIHW Cat. No. CAN 29; Cancer Series No. 34.) http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/can/bca06/bca06.pdf (accessed Oct 2010).
  • 5. Schulte PA, Ehrenberg RL, Mitchell S. Investigation of occupational cancer cluster: theory and practice. Am J Public Health 1987; 77: 52-56.
  • 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for investigating clusters of health events. MMWR Recomm Rep 1990; 39 (RR-11): 1-23. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001797.htm (accessed Oct 2010).

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