Four Phils and brain cancer: Connection or coincidence?

A) Who would pay you to do the study and who would oppose it?

I would assume that the Philadelphia Phillies would pay for this study to erase any doubt that they were responsible or had knowledge of what caused such a bad situation for these participants of the Philadelphia organization. In addition, I would think that the families want to get to the bottom of it. If there is a law suit pending, legal counsel would pay for such studies. If any of the cancer patients are still living, Darren Daulton, I would interview them on their lifestyle and association with the other if possible. Opposing it would probably be the turf company because the synthetic chemicals that are engrained into the turf, are chief suspect. In addition, the owner of the Veteran’s Stadium would also not pay for a study. Another possibility is that they stadium was built with asbestos. If the owners were aware of this and did nothing about it from the beginning, they can be liable. Maybe that is why they leveled it, not to show any evidence of asbestos.

B) How do you go about it tactfully?

First of all, there can be a lot of emotion and confusion from all parties, therefore, be empathetic to parties involved. Be a good listener even for the most difficult people. Look at the person or persons directly to make sure your expression and tone of voice are sincere. Never patronize or belittle the person. Show the person that you are on their side and want to resolve the issue at hand. My mother always said you get more bees with honey than vinegar. Be grateful for their patience and promise that you will do everything to get to the bottom of the problem. Leave your ego at the door. But, most importantly, do your research so you sound educated and informed about the situation.

According to this article, they really have no definitive answers as how these Phillies players got the brain cancer. Being that there is more than a coincidence for this case, I would start with the structure of the stadium where they played ball from the years of 1983-1993.

c) Who are the specific groups you would be interested in collecting data from and how will we attain information?

There is speculation that the artificial turf applies chemical that is a carcinogen. The black, pellet-like substance, Styrene Butadiene Rubber is the predominant constituent of artificial fields. This comes from recycled tires, which 11 states have banned from landfills. Therefore, I would look at studies performed by Scientists on this particular chemical linked to cancer. Is the potential for these toxins to be inhaled or absorbed through the skin hazardous? Moreover, can it be linked to brain cancer? Also, I would like to look at the builders of the Stadium to see if asbestos was used in the building. Information today can be readily available from the internet sites. I would make sure they are credible of course. Blue prints are also available, they are filed. If there is no information in them that would indicate if asbestos was placed, I would try to contact the builder and start from there.

D) Before collecting the data – brainstorm about all possible causes of such “pattern”.

There can be many causes for this type of cancer. However, the question is, what is the common bond that links all these people with brain cancer together? Is there a particular tobacco that they used? In the early 80’s, steroids were used as a tool for efficiency of play. How about concussions? Is there a linkage to concussions and brain tumors? The chemicals used in preserving the tobacco, polonium. This element is radioactive and absorbed from phosphate fertilizers. Without filters, 45% of this element is ingested into the lungs and has been linked to brain cancer. Many possibilities have been speculated. The common area of all, is where we need to begin.