List of cancer clusters

Last updated

This is a list of cancer clusters. A cancer cluster is a statistical event, which may or may not have a cause other than chance. There are other cancer clusters that occur without any obvious source of carcinogens.

Contents

North America
DateDiseaseLocationNumber of casesCauseReferences
1917–1927 Osteosarcoma New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois 86 Radium [1] [2]
1938–1971 Adenocarcinoma U.S.750 Diethylstilbestrol [3] [4]
 ?–2018Various cancers St. Louis, Missouri 56 Uranium [5]
1967–1973 Liver angiosarcoma (Hemangiosarcoma) Louisville, Kentucky 4 Vinyl chloride monomer [6]
1968–1995 Leukemia, Lymphoma Camp Lejeune, North Carolina 13 [note 1] Trichloroethylene
1,2-Dichloroethylene
Tetrachloroethylene
Methylene chloride
Vinyl chloride
[8] [7]
1979–1996 Brain, CNS cancer Toms River, New Jersey 90+SAN trimer
Styrene
Acrylonitrile
[9] [10] [11]
1973–1986 Leukemia Woburn, Massachusetts 21 Chloroform
Tetrachloroethylene
Trichloroethylene
1,2-Dichloroethene
Arsenic
[12] [13]
1982–1984 Testicular cancer Fulton County, New York 3 Dimethylformamide (DMF)
2-Ethoxyethanol
2-Ethoxyethyl acetate
2-Butoxyethanol
[14]
1987–1999 Brain cancer, Leukemia, Lymphoma Wilmington, Massachusetts 20Unknown
N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)
[15] [16] [17]
1993–2008Childhood brain cancer, brain tumors, colon cancer, anal cancer, rectal cancer, breast cancer. Also nervous system damaged. The Acreage, Florida UnknownUnknown
Some have linked it to a nearby Pratt and Whitney, Beach Aggregates, and the Florida crystals.
[18]
1997–2002 Leukemia, rhabdomyosarcoma Fallon, Nevada 17Unknown
Tungsten
Arsenic
Chlorpyrifos
Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE)
Benzene in jet fuel
[19] [20] [21] [22]
1996–2013 Leukemia, Brain Tumors, lymphoma, Other Forms Clyde, Ohio 36, mostly childrenUnknown [23]
1953–2010wide range of cancers Shannon, Quebec 400 Trichloroethylene [24] [25]
Europe
DateDiseaseLocationNumber of casesCauseReferences
1968–1995 Leukemia Seascale, Sellafield, England 9Unsure
Studies indicate a correlation with paternal preconceptional irradiation (PPI)
[26] [27]
1978–1993 Leukemia La Hague, Normandy, France 27Unknown
Speculated to be tritium
[28] [29]
1980sLeukemia, Brain tumors East Yorkshire, England13 Polonium 210, Lead, Arsenic and other metal emitter; unproven link to Capper Pass tin smelter in Melton [30] [31] [32] [33]
1990–2005 Leukemia Elbmarsch, Lower Saxony and Krümmel (Kruemmel), Geesthacht, Schleswig-Holstein in Germany 16Unknown
Speculated to be actinide, especially Plutonium241 of unknown origin that was found in the area or tritium from a nearby nuclear power plant
[34] [35]
India
DateDiseaseLocationNumber of casesCauseReferences
mid 1980s Skin Lesions, Arsenicosis West Bengal, India Unknown Arsenic [36]

Notes

  1. Out of 106 suspected health problems, 52 were confirmed, including 13 hematopoietic cancers and 39 birth defects. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leukemia</span> Blood cancers forming in the bone marrow

Leukemia is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called blasts or leukemia cells. Symptoms may include bleeding and bruising, bone pain, fatigue, fever, and an increased risk of infections. These symptoms occur due to a lack of normal blood cells. Diagnosis is typically made by blood tests or bone marrow biopsy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berylliosis</span> Medical condition

Berylliosis, or chronic beryllium disease (CBD), is a chronic allergic-type lung response and chronic lung disease caused by exposure to beryllium and its compounds, a form of beryllium poisoning. It is distinct from acute beryllium poisoning, which became rare following occupational exposure limits established around 1950. Berylliosis is an occupational lung disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sellafield</span> Nuclear site in Cumbria, England

Sellafield, formerly known as Windscale, is a large multi-function nuclear site close to Seascale on the coast of Cumbria, England. As of August 2022, primary activities are nuclear waste processing and storage and nuclear decommissioning. Former activities included nuclear power generation from 1956 to 2003, and nuclear fuel reprocessing from 1952 to 2022.

Chlordane, or chlordan, is an organochlorine compound that was used as a pesticide. It is a white solid. In the United States, chlordane was used for termite-treatment of approximately 30 million homes until it was banned in 1988. Chlordane was banned 10 years earlier for food crops like corn and citrus, and on lawns and domestic gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birth defect</span> Condition present at birth regardless of cause; human disease or disorder developed prior to birth

A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can range from mild to severe. Birth defects are divided into two main types: structural disorders in which problems are seen with the shape of a body part and functional disorders in which problems exist with how a body part works. Functional disorders include metabolic and degenerative disorders. Some birth defects include both structural and functional disorders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry</span> US federal agency

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a federal public health agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The agency focuses on minimizing human health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances. It works closely with other federal, state, and local agencies; tribal governments; local communities; and healthcare providers. Its mission is to "Serve the public through responsive public health actions to promote healthy and safe environments and prevent harmful exposures." ATSDR was created as an advisory, nonregulatory agency by the Superfund legislation and was formally organized in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malathion</span> Chemical compound

Malathion is an organophosphate insecticide which acts as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. In the USSR, it was known as carbophos, in New Zealand and Australia as maldison and in South Africa as mercaptothion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acute lymphoblastic leukemia</span> Blood cancer characterised by overproduction of lymphoblasts

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of the lymphoid line of blood cells characterized by the development of large numbers of immature lymphocytes. Symptoms may include feeling tired, pale skin color, fever, easy bleeding or bruising, enlarged lymph nodes, or bone pain. As an acute leukemia, ALL progresses rapidly and is typically fatal within weeks or months if left untreated.

Cadmium is a naturally occurring toxic metal with common exposure in industrial workplaces, plant soils, and from smoking. Due to its low permissible exposure in humans, overexposure may occur even in situations where trace quantities of cadmium are found. Cadmium is used extensively in electroplating, although the nature of the operation does not generally lead to overexposure. Cadmium is also found in some industrial paints and may represent a hazard when sprayed. Operations involving removal of cadmium paints by scraping or blasting may pose a significant hazard. The primary use of cadmium is in the manufacturing of NiCd rechargeable batteries. The primary source for cadmium is as a byproduct of refining zinc metal. Exposures to cadmium are addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, the construction industry, and the agricultural industry.

Elbmarsch is a Samtgemeinde in the district of Harburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the southern (left) bank of the river Elbe, approx. 30 km southeast of Hamburg, and 20 km north of Lüneburg. Its seat is in the village Marschacht. The name refers to the marshes along the Elbe.

Inge Schmitz-Feuerhake is a German physicist and mathematician. Her research has assessed the biological effects of ionizing radiation at low dosage levels. From 1973 and until her retirement in 2000 she was a professor in experimental physics at the University of Bremen. Much of her research concerned the areas of radiation contamination and the effect of low level radiation exposure, as well as the diagnostic use of nuclear radiation.

TOXMAP was a geographic information system (GIS) from the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) that was deprecated on December 16, 2019. The application used maps of the United States to help users explore data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Superfund programs with visual projections and maps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benzene</span> Hydrocarbon compound consisting of a 6-sided ring

Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar hexagonal ring with one hydrogen atom attached to each. Because it contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms, benzene is classed as a hydrocarbon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemiology of cancer</span> The study of factors in cancer causes and treatments

The epidemiology of cancer is the study of the factors affecting cancer, as a way to infer possible trends and causes. The study of cancer epidemiology uses epidemiological methods to find the cause of cancer and to identify and develop improved treatments.

The Camp Lejeune water contamination problem occurred at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, from 1953 to 1987. During that time, United States Marine Corps (USMC) personnel and families at the base bathed in and ingested tap water contaminated with harmful chemicals at all concentrations from 240 to 3400 times current safe levels. An undetermined number of former residents later developed cancer or other ailments, which could be due to the contaminated drinking water. Victims claim that USMC leaders concealed knowledge of the problem and did not act properly to resolve it or notify former residents.

Acute beryllium poisoning is acute chemical pneumonitis resulting from the toxic effect of beryllium in its elemental form or in various chemical compounds, and is distinct from berylliosis. After occupational safety procedures were put into place following the realization that the metal caused berylliosis around 1950, acute beryllium poisoning became extremely rare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health effects of pesticides</span> Medical condition

Health effects of pesticides may be acute or delayed in those who are exposed. Acute effects can include pesticide poisoning, which may be a medical emergency. Strong evidence exists for other, long-term negative health outcomes from pesticide exposure including birth defects, fetal death, neurodevelopmental disorder, cancer, and neurologic illness including Parkinson's disease. Toxicity of pesticides depend on the type of chemical, route of exposure, dosage, and timing of exposure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Childhood cancer</span> Medical condition

Childhood cancer is cancer in a child. About 80% of childhood cancer cases can be successfully treated thanks to modern medical treatments and optimal patient care. However, only about 10% of children diagnosed with cancer reside in high-income countries where the necessary treatments and care is available. Childhood cancer represents only about 1% of all types of cancers diagnosed in children and adults. For this reason, childhood cancer is often ignored in control planning, contributing to the burden of missed opportunities for its diagnoses and management in countries that are low- and mid-income.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuclear labor issues</span> Radiation workers health and labor issues

Nuclear labor issues exist within the international nuclear power industry and the nuclear weapons production sector worldwide, impacting upon the lives and health of laborers, itinerant workers and their families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Perry (epidemiologist)</span> American epidemiologist and microbiologist

Melissa Perry is an American epidemiologist and microbiologist, who is the inaugural dean of the College of Public Health at George Mason University. Previously, she served as chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at George Washington University between 2011 and 2022., Perry was chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (NCEH/ATSDR) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 2015 and 2019.

References

  1. Grady, Denise (October 8, 1998). "A Glow in the Dark, and a Lesson in Scientific Peril". The New York Times.
  2. Thun, M. J.; Sinks, T. (2004). "Understanding Cancer Clusters". CA. 54 (5): 273–80. doi: 10.3322/canjclin.54.5.273 . PMID   15371285. S2CID   39278757.
  3. Jones, LA; Hajek, RA (1995). "Effects of estrogenic chemicals on development". Environmental Health Perspectives. 103 (Suppl 7): 63–7. doi:10.2307/3432510. JSTOR   3432510. PMC   1518876 . PMID   8593877.
  4. "Role of DES Cohort Studies". US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2005. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  5. McDonald, J C; Harris, J; Armstrong, B (2004). "Mortality in a cohort of vermiculite miners exposed to fibrous amphibole in Libby, Montana". Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 61 (4): 363–6. doi:10.1136/oem.2003.008649. PMC   1740743 . PMID   15031396.
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1997). "Epidemiologic notes and reports. Angiosarcoma of the liver among polyvinyl chloride workers--Kentucky. 1974". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 46 (5): 97–101. PMID   9045039.
  7. 1 2 "Camp Lejeune, North Carolina: Health Study Activities Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)". US Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). September 16, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  8. "Survey of Childhood Cancers and Birth Defects at USMC Camp Lejeune". US Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). July 2003. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  9. "CIBA-GEIGY CORP". US Environmental Protection Agency. December 14, 2004. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  10. "Childhood Cancer Incidence Health Consultation: A Review and Analysis of Cancer Registry Data, 1979-1995 for Dover Township (Ocean County), New Jersey" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Hazardous Site Health Evaluation Program, Division of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health, & US Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). September 1997. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-10-27.
  11. "Volume 1: Summary of the Final Technical Report" (PDF). Case-control Study of Childhood Cancers in Dover Township (Ocean County), New Jersey. NJDHSS, ATSDR. December 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 29, 2004. Retrieved January 31, 2005. See also: "Dover Township Childhood Cancer Investigation". Archived from the original on June 18, 1997. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  12. "BEHA Reports - Woburn, Massachusetts". Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Bureau of Environmental Health Assessment. 1997. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  13. Costas, Kevin; Knorr, Robert S; Condon, Suzanne K (2002). "A case–control study of childhood leukemia in Woburn, Massachusetts: The relationship between leukemia incidence and exposure to public drinking water". Science of the Total Environment. 300 (1–3): 23–35. Bibcode:2002ScTEn.300...23C. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(02)00169-9. PMID   12685468.
  14. Centers for Disease Control (1989). "Testicular cancer in leather workers--Fulton County, New York". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 38 (7): 105–6, 111–4. PMID   2536886.
  15. "Bureau of Environmental Health Assessment". Wilmington Childhood Cancer Study. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. 2002. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  16. "Evaluation of Cancer Incidence data for the Town of Wilmington, Massachusetts 1987-1995" (PDF). Letter to the Wilmington Board of Health. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. August 2000. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  17. "Toxic chemicals and childhood cancer: A review of the evidence" (PDF). Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, University of Massachusetts Lowell. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2003. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  18. Malek, Mitra (September 13, 2010). "New data confirms Acreage cancer cluster; health officials puzzled on cause of children's ailments". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  19. "Cancer Clusters - Churchill County (Fallon), Nevada Exposure Assessment". National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2004. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  20. Steinmaus, Craig; Lu, Meng; Todd, Randall L; Smith, Allan H (2004). "Probability estimates for the unique childhood leukemia cluster in Fallon, Nevada, and risks near other U.S. Military aviation facilities". Environmental Health Perspectives. 112 (6): 766–71. doi:10.1289/ehp.6592. PMC   1241974 . PMID   15121523.
  21. "Nevada". U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Archived from the original on February 8, 2005. Retrieved January 31, 2005.
  22. Mullen, Frank (February 27, 2005). "Scientists zero in on tungsten as Fallon cancer cause". Reno Gazette-Journal .
  23. Seewer, John (December 30, 2010). "Ohio child cancers confound parents, investigators". Associated Press. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  24. "Quebec town demands compensation for tainted water". CBC News. June 10, 2009.
  25. Asselin, Pierre (January 4, 2010). "Eau contaminée de Shannon: le nombre de maladies répertoriées augmente" [Shannon's contaminated water: the number of identified diseases increases]. Le Soleil (in French).
  26. Gardner, Martin J. (1991). "Father's occupational exposure to radiation and the raised level of childhood leukemia near the Sellafield nuclear plant". Environmental Health Perspectives. 94: 5–7. doi:10.2307/3431285. JSTOR   3431285. PMC   1567974 . PMID   1954939.
  27. Dickinson, Heather O.; Parker, Louise (2002). "Leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in children of male Sellafield radiation workers". International Journal of Cancer. 99 (3): 437–44. doi: 10.1002/ijc.10385 . PMID   11992415. S2CID   11111634.
  28. Pobel, D.; Viel, J.-F. (1997). "Case-control study of leukaemia among young people near La Hague nuclear reprocessing plant: The environmental hypothesis revisited". BMJ. 314 (7074): 101–6. doi:10.1136/bmj.314.7074.101. PMC   2125632 . PMID   9006467.
  29. Seth, Anita (1997). "Leukemia Clusters Near La Hague and Sellafield" (PDF). Energy & Security. Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (4): 14.
  30. M S Baxter; B W East; A B MacKenzie; E M Scott (1990). A Review of radioactivity in and around the Capper Pass smelter, Melton Works, North Humberside, a report prepared for the East Yorkshire Health Authority, February 1990. Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre.
  31. "Radioactivity". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Vol. 176. House of Commons. 19 July 1990. col. 1278–1284. We cannot, in any way, attribute excess cancers to the practices at, or discharges from, the plant. All we can say in summary is that there is far too little information on which to form a sound judgment
  32. Sources:
  33. John S. Scott, ed. (1992). "Cancer cluster". Dictionary Of Civil Engineering (4 ed.). Chapman and Hall. ISBN   978-0-412-98421-1.
  34. Hoffmann, Wolfgang; Dieckmann, Helga; Dieckmann, Hayo; Schmitz-Feuerhake, Inge (1997). "A Cluster of Childhood Leukemia near a Nuclear Reactor in Northern Germany". Archives of Environmental Health. 52 (4): 275–80. doi:10.1080/00039899709602198. PMID   9210727.
  35. Brüske-Hohlfeld, I; Scherb, H; Bauchinger, M; Schmid, E; Fender, H; Wolf, G; Obe, G; Schmitz-Feuerhake, I; et al. (2001). "A cluster of childhood leukaemias near two neighbouring nuclear installations in Northern Germany: Prevalence of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes". International Journal of Radiation Biology. 77 (1): 111–6. doi:10.1080/095530001453177. PMID   11213343. S2CID   25519650.
  36. Métral, Jerome; Charlet, Laurent; Bureau, Sara; Mallik, Sukumar; Chakraborty, Sudipta; Ahmed, Kazi M; Rahman, MW; Cheng, Zhongqi; Van Geen, Alexander (2008). "Comparison of dissolved and particulate arsenic distributions in shallow aquifers of Chakdaha, India, and Araihazar, Bangladesh". Geochemical Transactions. 9 (1): 1. Bibcode:2008GeoTr...9....1M. doi: 10.1186/1467-4866-9-1 . PMC   2246114 . PMID   18190703.