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Show DAILY HERALD Sunday, September 9. 2007 A7 Presidential campaign threatens to roil 911 unity Microchip Continued from Al 1jj declined repeated AP requests to specify what studies it reviewed before approving the Anthony Faiola implants. The agency is overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, which, at the time of VeriChip's approval, was headed by Tommy Thompson. Two weeks after the device's approval took effect on Jan. 10, 2005, Thompson left his Cabinet post, and by July was a board member of VeriChip Corp. and its parent company, Applied Digital Solutions. He was compensated in cash and stock options. Thompson, until recently a candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, says he had no personal relationship with the company as the VeriChip was being evaluated, and played no role in FDA's approval. Also making no mention of the findings on animal tumors was a June report by the ethics committee of the American Medical Association, which touted the benefits of implant- THE STEVE MITCHELL Associated Press held in pair of tweezers is displayed in Boca Raton, Fla. Proponents say the chips, when implanted in people, offer security and medical identification benefits. Detractors worry that abuse of the chips will eliminate personal privacy in the digital age. A VeriChip microchip findings should be disclosed considering a chip implant, the cancer specialists articles you provided, describe the responses as foreign body reactions that are typical of able RFID devices. other implantable devices. The agreed Had committee members The product that VeriChip balance of the data provided in the submission supported apreviewed, or even been aware Corp. won approval for use in humans is an electronic capsule proval of the device." of, the literature on cancer in Dr. Neil Lipman, director of the size of two grains of rice. chipped animals? definitely cause for concern." No, said Dr. Steven Stack, Dr. George Demetri, direcGenerally, it is implanted with the Research Animal Resource an AM A board member. tor of the Center for Sarcoma a syringe into the anesthetized Center at Memorial Published in veterinary and said microchips aren't and Bone Oncology at the upper arm. When scanned, it Dana-Farblike pacemakers, which are transmits a code that allows Cancer Institute toxicology journals between 1996 and 2006, the studies in Boston, said even though the medics to access a patient's vital to keeping someone alive, found that lab mice and rats "so at this stage, the payoff tumor incidences were "reamedical records. VeriChip injected with microchips someCorp. sees an initial market of doesn't justify the risks." sonably small," the research times developed subcutaneAnd what of former HHS diabetics and people with heart underscored "certainly real ous "sarcomas" risks" in RFID implants. conditions or Alzheimer's secretary Thompson? malignant In humans, sarcomas, which When asked what role, if tumors, most of them encasing the implants. Did the FDA review literastrike connective tissues, can any, he played in VeriChip's A 1998 study in Ridgefield, ture on microchip implants and approval, Thompson replied: "I range from the highly curable animal cancer before approvhad nothing to do with it. And to "tumors that are incredibly Conn., of 177 mice reported cancer incidence to be slightly if you look back at my record, aggressive and can kill people ing the VeriChip? Dr. Katherine Albrecht, a a re- in three to six months," he said. higher than 10 percent you will find that there has sult the researchers described never been any improprieties At the Jackson Laboratory privacy advocate and RFID as "surprising." in Maine, a leader in mouse whatsoever." expert, asked shortly after I A 2006 study in France VeriChip's approval what Thompson vigorously camgenetics research and the detected tumors in 4.1 percent initiation of cancer, Dr. Oded evidence the agency had repaigned for electronic medical of 1,260 microchipped mice. records and health care techviewed. When FDA declined Foreman, a forensic patholoThis was one of six studies in to provide information, she nology both as governor of gist, also reviewed the studies filed a Freedom of Information Wisconsin and at HHS. While which the scientists did not set at the APs request. Noting out to find microchip-induce- d in President Bush's Cabinet, he that control mice, which had Act request, and eventually cancer but noticed the growths received no test chemicals, also received a letter stating there formed a "medical innovation" task force, partnering FDA incidentally. They were testdeveloped the cancers, he said: were no documents matching with companies developing in"That might be a little hint that her request. ing compounds on behalf of chemical and pharmaceutical "The public relies on the formation technologies. something real is happening FDA to evaluate all the data here." At a "Medical Innovation companies; but they ruled out the compounds as the tumors' Summit" on Oct. 20, 2004, LesDr. Cheryl London, a vetand make sure the devices it cause. ter Crawford, the FDA's acting erinarian oncologist at Ohio approves are safe," she says, "but if they're not doing that, In 1997, a study in GermaState University, noted it's commissioner, thanked the secwho's covering our backs?" easier to cause cancer in mice ny found cancers in 1 percent retary for getting the agency of 4,279 chipped mice. The than people. "So it may be that Late last year, Albrecht "deeply involved in the use of new information technology tumors "are clearly due to the what you're seeing in mice unearthed three studies notimplanted microchips," the aurepresents an exaggerated ing cancerous tumors in some to help prevent medication error." One notable example: "the thors wrote. phenomenon of what may occhipped mice and rats, plus a reference in another study to cur in people." Caveats accompanied the implantable chips and scanners of the VeriChip system our a chipped dog with a tumor. Tens of thousands of dogs findings. "Blind leaps from the She forwarded them to the detection of tumors to the prehave been chipped, she said, agency approved last week." After joining the company, diction of human health risk and veterinary pathologists AP, which subsequently found should be avoided," one study haven't reported outbreaks of three additional mice studies Thompson received options on 166,667 shares of VeriChip with similar findings, plus ancautioned. Also, because none related sarcomas. (Published other report of a chipped dog of the studies had a control Corp. stock, and options on an reports detailing malignant additional 100,000 shares of with a tumor. tumors in two chipped dogs group of animals that did not had h it if in taken these stock from its parent compaAsked of turned normal rate APs the up get chips, studies into account, the FDA examination of research on tumors cannot be determined ny, according to SEC records. said VeriChip documents were He also received $40,000 in and compared to the rate with chips and health. In one dog, cash in 2005 and again in 2006, the researchers said cancer ap- being kept confidential to prochips implanted. tect trade secrets. After AP . the filings show. Still, specialists at some prepeared linked to the presence The Project on Government filed a FOIA request, the FDA of the embedded chip; in the eminent cancer institutions made available for a phone insaid the findings raised red other, the cancer's cause was Oversight called Thompson's terview Anthony Watson, who actions "unacceptable" even uncertain.) flags. was in charge of the VeriChip "There's no way in the Nonetheless, London saw though they did not violate what the independent watcha need for a study of world, having read this inforapproval process. "At the time we reviewed chipped canines. Dr. Chand dog group calls weak mation, that I would have one laws. of those chips implanted in my Khanna, a veterinary onthis, I don't remember seeing Thompson, who left VeriChanything like that," he said of cologist at the National Cancer skin, or in one of my family animal studies linking microip Corp. in March, is a partner Institute, also backed such a members," said Dr. Robert at a Washington law firm that Benezra, head of the Cancer study, saying current evidence chips to cancer. was paid $1.2 million for legal Watson added: "The few "does suggest some reason to Biology Genetics Program at g services it provided the chip be concerned about tumor for- articles from the literature the Memorial that did discuss adverse tissue maker in 2005 and 2006, acmations." Cancer Center in New York. Before humans are im- Meanwhile, the animal study reactions similar to those in the cording to SEC filings. planted on a large scale, he said, testing should be done on larger animals, such as dogs or monkeys. Sarcomas are he said, "and given the preliminary animal data, it looks to me that there's to anyone Sloan-Ketterin- dis-eas- e. WASHINGTON NEW YORK Few things united this wildly diverse city more than the devastating events of Sept. 11, 2001. But, as the sixth anniversary of that dark day approaches, that sense of unity is being seriously tested amid a cacophony of controversies that has left some New Yorkers sniping at each other like family members at a funeraL Perhaps the biggest target: former mayor and Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani, whose planned appearance near Ground Zero on Tuesday to deliver a short reading is being assailed by critics. His decision to speak while running a presidential campaign sparked a scathing New York Times editorial , and infuriated a smattering of family members of victims and firefighter groups, particularly those who have long blamed Giuliani for not doing enough to upgrade emer- gency equipment before the attacks. Those critics, in turn, are being assailed by Giuliani supporters for suggesting that he would use such a revg erent moment for a publicity stunt. It happens at a time when New York the city most directly affected by the 911 attacks is experiencing an echo of the horror of that day . Last month, two firefighters were killed while fighting a o inside a condemned building that was damaged in the twin towers' Michael Bloomberg also widely discussed as a possible presidential candidate, despite his repeated denials has bluntly admitted to "failures" in the fire department's han- dling of the site. "We just didn't need this not now," said Jim now Riches, a deputy fire chief, who lost his son, also a firefighter, in the North Tower on Sept. 11. "We have two more dead firefighters for no reason. And now we have Giuliani out there grandstanding. This isn't the way to mark this day." That Sept. 11 has become something of a political football this year is perhaps not surprising, given the ongoing mega-infern- BERNIMA Fabric sewing y brother M JANOME & Embroidery Where cuatomera are Famflyl 4C3CD WhtoSuppfyLastsll broths: i jw S dal. uoseoui A. A m 1 till n m Rtmff Vmlum $9,943. Brodmararfcufbccuaff mca ii Babykxk ft Kenmore tat . . . Pacesetter bmovis is BROTHER DEALER EXCLUSIVE! AlBnlonEUSROCERT'UACHME OWNERS Ka 4 1(1pyJCtqft Are you having trouble getting designs for your embroidery machine????? Ask about the vtagic Box Elite BERNINP AihH CilMU fVlMA $1999. BERNINI 220 si ciH t) 20-ye- st safety hazard. Three fire department officials have been suspended while the state and the Manhattan district attorney's office launch investigations. Independent Mayor presidential campaign. Emotions have generally run high in New York during earlier markings of the attack's anniversary. Yet emotions have run especially high this year among the "911 community": victims' family members, volunteers and first responders personally affected by the attacks. Many have lashed out at recent suggestions in the New York media that some people have Sept. 11 "fatigue" amid the flurry of tributes and exhibitions planned for Tuesday. "It is the most outrageous apcollapse. That the blaze parently caused by a cigarette suggestion I can imagine," said Lee Ielpi, president of smoker claimed two more of New York's first respond-er- s the September 11th Families so close to the emotional Association, who lost his son, a firefighter, in the World anniversary has reopened wounds here and set tempers Trade Center that day. The group helped inaugurate an raging. audio tour this month at the Local, state and federal officials Tribute WTC Visitor Center along with the contractors hired to dismantle near Ground Zero, four-mont- conflict-of-intere- the building are bearing the brunt of public wrath for allowing the damaged structure to stand for so long as a POST brother ns4o Bt'iwOowloMwMnj fyfH WOW Sloan-Ketterin- KOALA- - HOffl In Visit our Fair Booth the Grand Budding for SewfogQuESidCfiiJ 7f Camille Continued from A 1 territory, to gather at the base of Bridal Veil Falls at 8 a.m. today for a search for Camille. Hikers were asked to bring GPS units if available and must have identification when they arrive. For information, visit www.findgarrett.org. BYU will host a candlelight gathering for Camille at 8 p.m. today at Miller Field. The baseball field is located at approximately 400 E. University Parkway in Provo. "Please come and show your support for Camille and her family," said organizers in a press release. "Today has been a much more robust search," said family spokesman Brandon Gaudin of Saturday's volunteer effort to find the missing woman. "While the family is encouraged by the numbers today and very enthusiastic, new leads are lacking, so they are hoping we can get a solid number of searchers out again tomorrow." Robert Grossman, another spokesman for the family, said Camille's mother and father Open Spaces Friendly Faces We Specialize in South Utah County and Juab County Real Estate. spent the day searching. "They are determined to find her," Grossman said. "There has not been one iota of doubt they are going to find her and that is the mentality they go into these searches with everyday." Police have a bicycle that may have belonged to Cleverly. The bicycle in question was stolen from the Bridal Veil Falls area of Provo Canyon on Saturday night. Camille Clever-le22, was last seen on Aug. 30 by a riding a bicycle on 900 East in Provo. All Provo police detectives are working on the case, as y, well as the FBI, Utah County Sheriff's Office and Boise police. Police are interviewing sex offenders, parolees and those on probation in the area. Volunteers for today's search are asked to meet at the Harman Building on the BYU campus. To donate money to help with the search, go to any Wells Fargo bank and ask to deposit funds in the Find Camille account. Information is available at findcamille.org. Anyone with information concerning Camille can contact Provo police at 852-621- mwzm mm . 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