WEATHERClyde cancer cluster grows by another child
Nov 16
2010
FULL STORY Another child has been added to the childhood cancer cluster study in eastern Sandusky County.
State health officials confirmed Tuesday the child is between the ages of 5 and 9 and has been diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancerous tumor of the muscles.
Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Jen House said the child lives in the Clyde-Green Springs area. She did not provide the date of the child’s diagnosis but said she believes it was sometime this year.
The child’s family has agreed to participate in the cancer cluster investigation being performed by the Ohio Department of Health and the Sandusky County Health Department, House said.
The agencies’ most recent study — a radiation survey — ruled out radiation exposure as a potential cause of the cancers.
An updated study of family health histories is due sometime in December, House said.
Researchers sent questionnaires to families involved in the cancer cluster, in hopes of identifying possible links among the cases.
So far, researchers have come up empty on possible causes of the childhood cancers.
The Ohio EPA performed environmental tests on air and water in 2009 but found no smoking gun. In community meetings, researchers said finding a cause will be difficult, particularly because the cases share little in common.
The children involved have different types of cancer, went to different schools, live in different neighborhoods, drink from different water sources and their parents worked in a variety of fields.
Researchers in 2006 confirmed the Clyde area indeed has a childhood cancer cluster. School nurses at the time urged health officials to look into the shocking jump in new cancer cases.
In spring 2009, a deeper statistical analysis of the childhood cancer rates in the area prompted researchers to expand the cluster to a large portion of eastern Sandusky County. At the time, the number of cases stood at 28.
Most of them were diagnosed during or before 2006, but other children have fallen ill since.
With this new case, there are at least 29 cases total.
Doctors diagnosed Tanner Hisey, 12, of Green Springs with leukemia in 2008. He will continue treatment until late 2011 or early 2012.
Jacob “Bubba” Andrews, of Clyde, was diagnosed at the age of 20 earlier this year with a form of brain cancer.
Andrews is doing well with his recovery, according to the latest update on his family’s journal on the Caring Bridge website — an online community aimed at supporting families and cancer patients.
The cancer-cluster study looks only at children ages 0 to 19 who were diagnosed from 1996 through today. As such, Andrews is not among the 29 cases in the study.
Families in the Clyde-Green Springs area remain frustrated at the lack of answers in the cancer investigation.
Warren Brown, father of Alexa Brown, 11, who died in August 2009 of brain cancer, said he’s not sure if the additional case is a new one, or if a family who previously didn’t participate in the study has now come forward.
If it’s a new case, Brown said he’ll personally call administrators at the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio EPA to urge them to tap into additional resources — federal or otherwise — so they can get to the bottom of the deadly problem.
Print
Facebook
Twitter
Email
.jpg)
Comments
Share your thoughts and opinions with your community. All comments on our site are governed by our Discussion Guidelines. You must have a valid account to post comments.
09:56 AM
ErnestR says
I often read about the mysterious cancer cluster in Clyde that baffles experts. Meanwhile people are dying of cancer. In the book "Don't Drink the Water" by Lono Kahuna Kapua A'o he discusses how water becomes polluted and can travel many miles underground for years before being tapped to drink from a well. He says, "In Bellevue, Ohio, public and private wastes were dumped into sinkholes and wells beginning in 1872. Today, over 120 years later, those wastes show up in wells drilled over a 75-square mile area. When pumped, some wells still disgorge raw sewage from that era, including undecomposed toilet paper."
Bellevue is close to Clyde. Although nobody has solved the riddle of the Clyde cancer cluster, it's likely that either the air or the water is to blame. Locals may have no choice about the air they breath but they can do something about purifying the water they drink. I got the book "Don't Drink the Water" from my library and it is short and readable and educates anyone on how water gets contaminated and how to avoid drinking poisoned water. Pass that along if you know someone in the Fremont, Clyde or Bellevue area.
10:13 AM
York71 says
This area historically and currently has a lot of fruit and vegetable farms. All of which use pesticides and herbacides. Both of these are designed to kill, one way or another. Don't be too quick to point the finger at the hazardous waste site in Vickery. The hazardous waste that is pumped into the Limestone Rock is THOUSANDS of feet below the water table. Water and all liquids flow downhill. It is HIGHLY unlikely that the hazardous waste moves up through the ground into the water table and if water reaches the hazardous waste it is too far below the ground that anyone will ever drink it.
This situation is a horrible event. Hopefully the children can be treated and cured but the true cause will probably never be found.
12:54 PM
hilltop says
It's not only direct contact with hazardous chemicals that can cause illness. Grandparents exposed to chemicals could pass genetic abnormalities down to their children. Many times the exposure may not surface until grandchildren are born.
I have always been a proponent of surveying the family for clues about what their exposure has been. If Grandpa spent years working with vinyl chloride or benzene, there's a good chance that an endocrine change took place, it was passed to his children and then to his children's children. There may even be a relationship to autism. We don't know for sure because only the government or chemical companies can pay for their own research (and I'm sure they'll tell us if they've screwed-up.)
Chemical companies still release to the environment (see the TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) release report for your area.) It's interesting to see the tons of compounds that are released into the air every year. Second-hand smoke is nothing compared to these releases.
There was a very interesting PBS show by John Moyers called "Trade Secrets" about the chemical industry and some of their past history relating to being up front about the hazards. This can be viewed at www.pbs.org, if you care to watch. Be prepared to be mad.
There are a lot of chemicals buried in landfills, including Chem Waste in Vickery. Groundwater sampling usually occurs twice a year. If a spike is observed, they (the landfill owner) samples the well again. If the spike goes away, they (EPA) call it "good" and the next test happens six months later. Good statistical sampling would dictate a 3% sample rate. With 365 days a year, the sampling should occur about once a month.
Realize that in Ohio the EPA is supported from the fees charged to the polluters. Generally, you won't see the EPA biting the hand that feeds them. Also, the EPA "bought-off" on a lot of environmental "clean-up" activities financed by the chemical companies in the past. You can bet they won't want their "good" judgement questioned, especially since it was based on the research performed by the polluters.
Now, you'll hear alot of things said about "risk analysis." There's a risk you'll get killed driving your car. There's a risk you'll get killed crossing the street. Chemical companies will tell you that the "risk analysis of getting cancer is "pretty low."" Difference is, I choose to cross the street and drive my car, I don't choose to be exposed to hazardous chemicals without warnings and proper training.
So, it's all very complex. What I have told is only the very tip of an iceberg. What is "green" today covers a multitude of very dark sins from yesterday, and if you think the governement is going to step in and make it right, you're dead wrong.
11:14 AM
erie_crowe1974 says
I think the reason they can't find what is causing the cancer is that it is a government cover up. The big drug companies would loose billions of dollars if the government found out what was causing the cancer cluster. I bet the drug companies have offed "hush money". It is pretty sad that we can see hundreds of light years into space, but we can't find out what is causing cancer among the kids is Clyde. If my thoughts hold true, shame on the drug companies for using kids as a way to fund the drug companies CEO's retirement fund...
10:46 AM
man4451 says
This is WORSE than Talking to TRUCK DRIVERS.
Years AGO, there WAS a hazardous waste SPILL at the Vickery Ohio HAZARDOUS WASTE site. Just like the LOVE CANAL in New York State, the CHEMICALS come UP thu the GROUND, poisons there CHILDREN by VAPOR. Durning the SPRING the snow MELTS and sinks INTO the ground, THEN the weather gets WARMER thus the same way we get RAIN from the ground, thus does VAPORs of HAZARDOUS WASTE comes out of the GROUND and children BREATH this is. There is most likely more people there than that, that has CANCER but the are OLDER and does not count in the CHILDREN Cluster.
10:30 AM
pepenik99 says
Here is an experience I witnessed while living in Florida involving one of my friends neighbors. The neighbor was a gardner. He grew many nice vegetable but used R0und Up on the plants to control the weeds. He routinely provided my healthy neighbor with tomatoes from the garden... In time the neighbor contacted a form of cancer and in time died from cancer. I am wondering if a study had been done in the cluster area involving the use of chemicals on those persons' home gardening habits. And also sharing of vegetables/fruits from others gardens, etc.
02:33 AM
iamrevolutionary says
Quarries...Cement factories...HMMM>>> Common thread??? Check out Riverside California and their cement factory lawsuit! Famous lawyer (in movie) is in charge! She found the link...
02:07 AM
GhostRider says
I still think it has something to do with the toxic chemical dump our by the turnpike. I talked to a driver once that told me they dump toxic chemicals into the pond then pump it way down underground. If it seeps into the water table,it can go anywhere. Just a thought.....and belief. Don`t know of anywhere it could be coming from.
11:51 PM
eightballcuet1 says
It's not an advertisement. North Coast is providing a public service in regards to the Golden Child series. It's intended to bring public awareness to this horrible situation.
09:27 PM
wakeup says
north coast cancer care is a fine facility, but i do think the advertisement is in bad taste
07:17 PM
thinktwice says
Now here's the latest on the Cancer Clusters! This message brought to you by North Coast Cancer Care! Clusters are becoming way too common to be comfortable. Whats worse is when it's commercialized. Almost seems that Cancer is looked upon as big money.That's just my interpretation. I'm sure it's a place we probably all would like to go when we get Cancer.
05:50 PM
bobaluey says
junk in the water, junk in the air, junk in the food, junk in the diet, artificial sweetners, and whatever junk ( ie: drugs, etc.) IF, ANY. the parents did before having kids. Sadly, it's just not Clyde this is happening all over. Castalia, Thompson Township. Many other places.