Town hit by 'exceptionally rare' cancer sickening multiple children alarmed after handwritten note emerges
Multiple children in a suburb in southern California have been diagnosed with an 'exceptionally rare' form of cancer.
Ladera Ranch is a neighbourhood located in Orange County, California, where around 26,000 people live.
According to a statement from Katrina Foley, the vice chair of the county board of supervisors, six children in the suburb have been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Ewing Sarcoma.
This is a form of cancer affecting bones and soft tissues, which is mostly seen in children and young adults, with Macmillan Cancer Support describing it as a 'rare' cancer, and the precise causes of it are not clear, though research is underway to better understand it.
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Meanwhile, the American Cancer Society has said that there are 'no known lifestyle-related or environmental causes' of Ewing Sarcoma, the Guardian reports.
A community meeting in Ladera Ranch took place in which hundreds of residents of the suburb shared their worry about the apparent cluster of cases in the neighbourhood.
Despite the report that there is not currently a known link between environmental causes and the condition, residents have expressed concern about the use of pesticides in the area.
Speaking to ABC7, resident Liesl Heidt said: “We’re very concerned about pesticides that are being sprayed all around the community. There’s so many times that I walk around and they’re spraying, and I ask what they’re spraying and they’re not telling us.”
Foley has written a letter to the state requesting assistance in discerning a possible cause for the cluster of cases.
“Ladera Ranch families deserve answers, transparency and urgency from the state,” Foley wrote in the letter.
“We do not yet know what caused these cancers, but that uncertainty demands a comprehensive review of every credible factor, including possible environmental exposures, along with direct communication and the public release of the findings.”
Brian Dalton was among the hundreds of residents who attended the meeting to share their worry about the cases.
Tragically, Brian had lost his daughter Lily who died after she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, according to reporting from KTLA 5.
“I don’t want another mother holding her child’s hand through endless treatments, praying for one more birthday, planning a funeral instead of a future,” he said.
The county board of supervisors are not the only people who are trying to figure out whether there is an underlying connection.
Bill Essayli in an assistant US attorney and contacted the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the cluster of cases in Ladera Ranch.
He observed that at least six children in the area have been diagnosed with the condition, which affects bones and soft tissues.
Essayli went on to request that the EPA open an investigation to see if there could be an environmental factor in the cluster of cancer cases, highlighting an 'unusual pattern' of cases and a public health concern.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Cancer Institute recognize that unusual patterns of cancer and community concerns regarding potential environmental exposures should be evaluated through a systematic, science-based process,” he said.
Kit Roberts