The Acreage Cancer Study

Hi Everyone,

Below are several articles about other confirmed brain cancer clusters in other communities. We find this information interesting and perhaps useful, in some way. Looking back at older cases may help us understand how science has changed and also give us new ideas of what to look for. We hope you take some time to review these cases.

Have a great day!

Brain Cancer - Texas

CDC

August 24, 1984

Because of concern among local physicians in Cooke County, Texas,*about an apparent excess of brain cancers, incidence and mortality rates of these cancers were evaluated. Data were reviewed during 1973-1982 from county death certificates, cancer registry forms forcounty residents, and hospital records in Cooke and surrounding counties and major referral centers in Dallas. Pathologic diagnoses in medical records or on death certificates coded 191, 192.0-192.3, or 192.9 using either the International Classification of Diseases, Adapted, eighth (ICDA-8) or ninth (ICD-9) revisions, were considered cases of brain cancer. Information on cancer metastatic to the brain was also reviewed. The expected number of cases was calculated by using the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) incidence and mortality rates for all races and geographic areas (1) and applying them to the 1980 population figures for Cooke County. The number of cancer cases observed were then compared to the number expected.

Brain cancer was recorded as the cause of death on 11 death certificates; cancer at another site in the nervous system was recorded on five. These 16 deaths are slightly, though not significantly, more than would be expected in a population of this age and sex distribution. Twelve residents had newly diagnosed brain cancer, and one had cancer of another nervous-system site. The occurrences of these 13 cancers in this population are not higher than would be expected. Diagnoses of cases occurred relatively randomly over the 10-year period (Figure 1).

The number of persons with brain cancer in Cooke County may have appeared high because: (1) the brain is a frequent site of metastasis, and metastasis to the brain is frequently the cause of death; (2) errors occur in classifying the causes of death on death certificates; (3) residents of rural areas often are more aware of serious illnesses and deaths among the local population than are residents of urban communities.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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The Toms River Childhood Cancer Cluster: Coupled Groundwater and Water Distribution System Modeling
The Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System

By Sykes, J.F. and Normani, S.D.

2003

Toms River, New Jersey is the location of a statistically significant childhood cancer cluster. A 1995 cancer investigation indicated that relative to the state, the Toms River section of Dover Township hadexcess childhood cancer incidence for all malignant cancers combined, brain and central nervous system (CNS) cancers, and leukemia. Children under the age of five were found to have a seven-fold increase in brain and CNS cancer. The community's concern focused on the possibility that exposure to environmental contaminants may be related to the incidence of these childhood cancers.

Two Superfund sites in Dover Township were implicated as having a possible impact on the local water supply. Oneof these, the Reich Farm site, is a source of contaminants to the aquifer that serves a major well field for Toms River. Contaminants in the aquifer include TCE, PCE and styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) trimer. In1997, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began an epidemiology study to evaluate the relationship between the environmental exposure pathways and the elevated childhood cancer incidence. Toxicity studies for the SAN trimer were also initiated. Groundwater modeling wasundertaken to establish the historical relationship between the Reich Farm site and the municipal well field and to aid in the management and protection of the aquifer and well field to ensure both water quality and quantity. The modeling of the water distribution system for Toms River was also part of the study. Groundwater flow from the Reich Farm Superfund site to the municipal well field for Toms River was modeled for a thirty-year time period using MODFLOW. To account for the growth and development of the well field within the modeling domain, a transient model was constructed. The use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and databases to manage, maintain, and compile field observations for model input and calibration was an important part of the work.

The results of the modeling study were used to assist in the definition of the temporal integration periods in the epidemiology study. The predicted historical breakthrough curve ofthe SAN trimer in the municipal wells correlates with the period withthe excess childhood cancer incidence.

To view the full article, Click Here.

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Wilmington, Ma Cancer Cluster

To view a letter from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Click Here.

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McCullom Lake Cancer Cluster:

An offer that can't be refused

Northwest Herald

August 29, 2010

The timing might be suspect, the motivation might not be completely pure, but we welcome Rohm and Haas’s offer to pay for well and environmental testing for the residents of McCullom Lake.

Testing the water in all McCullom Lake wells for the sake of its residents should have been a priority years ago, when the first plaintiffs filed a series of lawsuits against Rohm and Haas and Modine Manufacturing. The lawsuits blame pollution from the companies’ Ringwood plants for a cluster of brain cancers and other ailments. The number of plaintiffs in the lawsuits now totals 31, and Modine since has settled without accepting blame.

The McHenry County Department of Health prematurely sounded the all-clear, nothing-to-see-here signal immediately after the initial lawsuits were filed in 2006. County officials went as far to say that there was no cancer cluster in McCullom Lake, a claim that since has been debunked.

To view the full article, Click Here.

To learn more about the McCullom Lake Cancer Cluster, Click Here.

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Clyde, OH Cancer Cluster: Clyde Environmental Investigation

Ohio.gov

EPA

In December2007, Ohio EPA was contacted by SCHD to discuss the findings of acollaborative study with ODH regarding childhood cancer in the Clyde, Ohio area. Ohio EPA was asked to participate in a January 2008 meeting with the families of children affected by cancer. During this meeting, ODH and SCHD reviewed the final cancer case review with the families. Ohio EPA met with the families in March 2008 to discuss information regarding the environmental conditions in their area.

Both ODH and SCHD are working with the affected families to try to determine whether any of the cancers diagnosed have similarities in terms of exposure or origin. If these similarities occur, it could give investigators information about where to focus additional environmental investigations.  At this point, both health departments’ work with the affected families has not revealed any environmental similarities. Thus far, Ohio EPA has conducted additional investigations to try to identify unexpected environmental exposure, has evaluated area companies’ compliance with environmental laws and reviewed all existing information on local conditions to look for any unusual environmental conditions or areas that the Agency feels merit further investigation.

Ohio EPA’s role is to assist our local and state health partners in the investigation of potential sources of past or current contamination towhich the residents of Clyde may have been exposed.

OhioEPA will conduct air monitoring by placing both short-term and long-term air monitoring devices throughout the area, and will determine which chemicals to assess in addition to those routinely monitored. Ohio EPA also will evaluate drinking water quality from both public water systems and residential wells, and will continue to conduct surveillance and additional inspections of local industries to evaluate their compliance with environmental regulations.

To view the full article, Click Here.

Families in 'Clyde cancer cluster' grow more frustrated

Cleveland.com

By Michael Scott

November 9, 2009

CLYDE, Ohio — Kids are dying from cancer -- or fighting to live --in Sandusky County and their parents are desperate for answers.

So far, satisfactory answers are few.

Several families in what has become known as the "Clyde cancer cluster" say they are growing impatient and getting angry with state and county health officials who promised earlier this year to give them a detailed analysis of an off-the-charts cancer spike in their community.

"Dots on a map. That's all we're really looking for right now --some way to compare all of these cases and try to make sense of them," said Steve Keller Sr., whose grandson Kole Keller died from a brain tumor in 2007, just shy of his sixth birthday.

Kole is one of three children who have died and among about 20 who have been diagnosed with various cancers in the Clyde area since 2001.Early studies said that was a count nearly three times more than what would be expected.

To view the full article, Click Here.