- CASPIAN Sets record straight
after misleading claims by HomeAgain and VeriChip implant manufacturers.
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- A new paper titled "Microchip-Induced Tumors in
Laboratory Rodents and Dogs: A Review of the Literature 19902006"
has been released today by CASPIAN. The full, 48-page paper provides a
definitive review of the academic literature showing a causal link between
implanted radio-frequency (RFID) microchip transponders and cancer in laboratory
rodents and dogs. In addition, a brief, four-page synopsis of the full
report is being made available.
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- Eleven articles previously published in toxicology and
pathology journals are evaluated in the report. In six of the articles,
between 0.8% and 10.2% of laboratory mice and rats developed malignant
tumors around or adjacent to the microchips, and several researchers suggested
the actual tumor rate may have been higher. Two additional articles reported
microchip-related cancer in dogs.
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- In almost all cases, the malignant tumors, typically
sarcomas, arose at the site of the implants and grew to surround and fully
encase the devices. In several cases the tumors also metastasized or spread
to other parts of the animals.
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- Public revelation of a casual link between microchipping
and cancer in animals has prompted widespread public concern over the safety
of implantable microchips. The story was first broken to the public in
September through an article written by Associated Press Reporter Todd
Lewan. Prior to the AP story, the journal articles were completely unknown
outside of small academic circles.
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- "The AP did a superb job informing the public of
the existence of these journal articles," said Dr. Katherine Albrecht,
a leading privacy expert and long-time VeriChip opponent who authored the
new paper. "Unfortunately," Dr. Albrecht added, "a lot of
misinformation about the cancer research has circulated since Mr. Lewan's
article was published. I wrote the report to set the record straight."
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- The animal-microchip study findings were so compelling
that one of Mr. Lewan's sources, Dr. Robert Benezra, head of the Cancer
Biology Genetics Program at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
in New York, was quoted as saying, "There's no way in the world, having
read this information, that I would have one of those chips implanted in
my skin, or in one of my family members."
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- Nevertheless, representatives of the chipping industry
have made inaccurate public statements about the research findings in an
effort to confuse the public.
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- Scott Silverman, CEO of the VeriChip Corporation which
makes the controversial VeriChip human implant, recently provided inaccurate
information to Time Magazine. Mr. Silverman is quoted as saying that none
of the tumors found in mice in a 2006 French study were malignant. In fact,
not only were the tumors malignant sarcomas, but most of the afflicted
animals died prematurely as a result of the microchip-associated tumors.
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- In addition, Destron Fearing, makers of the HomeAgain
pet implant, dismissed a finding of fibrosarcoma--a highly lethal cancer--as
'benign' in a recent report.
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- A fibrosarcoma is a type of sarcoma, a malignant tumor
of soft tissue that connects, supports or surrounds other structures and
organs of the body. Dr. Timothy Jennings, an expert on implant-induced
cancers in humans, said he was "not aware of any nosology incorporating
an entity of 'benign fibrosarcoma'" and agreed that "any tumor
classified as sarcoma should be viewed as malignant."
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- "Either VeriChip and the makers of HomeAgain actually
don't understand the difference between a benign fibroma and a malignant
fibrosarcoma," noted Dr. Albrecht, "or they're deliberately lying
to the public. Either way, it's clear they can't be trusted. We hope our
new report will set the record straight."
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- The report includes a one- to three-page writeup on each
of the original studies. In addition to a detailed review of the academic
literature, the report contains recommendations for patients, pet owners,
veterinarians, and policy makers, including the following: (1) Further
microchipping of humans should be immediately discontinued; (2) Implanted
patients should be informed in writing of the research findings and offered
a procedure for microchip removal; and (3) Policy makers should reverse
all animal microchipping mandates.
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- As part of its public awareness campaign, CASPIAN will
be issuing copies of the new report to leading policy and decision makers.
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- The full 48-page report and four-page synopsis are also
immediately available for public download at http://www.antichips.com/cancer/
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- ABOUT CASPIAN
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- CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion
and Numbering) is a grass-roots consumer group fighting retail surveillance
schemes since 1999 and irresponsible RFID use since 2002. With thousands
of members in all 50 U.S. states and over 30 countries worldwide, CASPIAN
seeks to educate consumers about marketing strategies that invade their
privacy and encourage privacy-conscious shopping habits across the retail
spectrum.
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- See: <http://www.antichips.com>http://www.antichips.com
<http://www.spychips.com>http://www.spychips.com <http://www.nocards.org>http://www.nocards.org
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- FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW, PLEASE
CONTACT Katherine Albrecht (<mailto:kma@spychips.com>kma@spychips.com)
877-287-5854 ext. 1
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