The sad news of Darren Daulton’s brain cancer diagnosis inspired the Philadelphia Inquirer to conduct a research project -- reviewed by a University of Pennsylvania epidemiologist -- into incidents of brain cancer among Phillies players and coaches who spent time in Veteran’s Stadium. The results suggest an elevated risk of brain cancer among those who plied their trade at the Vet, with Daulton, Tug McGraw, John Vukovich and Johnny Oates all being stricken.
That’s just four, but as the Inquirer’s story explains, it is a rate 3.1 times higher than in the general population. The story and the epidemiologist note that, obviously, we’re dealing with small sample sizes and the results could be a matter of chance, but it is both an interesting and potentially worrisome statistical observation.
And not necessarily a new observation. You may recall that, two years ago, friend of HBT and former Royals pitcher Bob Tufts raised this question regarding players from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Tufts himself is a cancer survivor and several other Royals including Paul Splittoroff, Dick Howser and Dan Quisenberry died from various forms of cancer after spending time in K.C.
At the time, Tufts -- while acknowledging that this is anecdotal information, not anything like a scientific study -- suggested that the MLBPA and Major League Baseball study cancer rates and types among former major leaguers. While the Inquirer study itself isn’t more than a statistical observation itself, it’s not a bad suggestion that someone do something more.
