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VICTORIA LÓPEZ-RODAS Y COLS. AN. R. ACAD. NAC. FARM.

TABLE 2. Relative risk of colorectal cancer with increase of relative shellfish
consumption in Spain

Spanish Comunidad Relative Risk Relative Risk
Autonoma Consumption colorectal cancer

CANARIAS 1,7 1,7
ASTURIAS 6,7 2,7
MADRID 6,6 1,8

Further analysis is necessary to conclusive association between
shellfish consumption and CRC. In this sense, we are working in
animal models and other epidemiological models. Nowadays, the
debate raised by OA is only as a toxin causing diarrhoea. This study
provides evidence that the hypothesis of the relation between OA
and colon cancer should begin to be taken into consideration.
Unfortunately, this point of view produces a conflict between the
economic interests of the sector and public health. In a context of
global change and coastal eutrophication that favours blooms of
toxic microalgae a good approach for public health would be to
change legislation to reduce the presence of OA in shellfish to zero.
Although cost-benefit studies may throw light on the problem in the
future, we believe that in a controversial situation such as this it
would be well to remember the Hippocratic dictum of «primum non
nocere».

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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I.; CACHO, E.; FRANCO, J.; LÓPEZ-RODAS, V. y COSTAS, E. (1998): Did algal toxins
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