Health and Safety

My law office represents many clients who have been exposed to toxic substances. It's not uncommon for persons entering my office to believe that they live within a "cancer cluster."

The idea of a cancer cluster, or some other kind of disease related cluster, warrants some discussion.

The Center for Disease Control defines a cancer cluster as "a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a geographic area over a period of time."

In order to confirm that a cancer cluster exists, health care professionals will, or should be notified to, evaluate a community and determine whether the conditions are normal.

An abnormal amount is calculated by an equation that takes the number of cases that a populated area should expect and compares it to the actual number present. If there is a deviated ratio of more than 1.0, the area has reason for concern. The next step is to find the source. Have the residents been exposed to a toxin in the water, air, or is there another environmental factor? Even as recent as this month, a large case has been brought to the open about a textile dye-making plant in Massachusetts.

The study has been going on in this area for the last seven years. The Department of health has reported, "The cancer rate was nearly four times greater among people with a family history of cancer and who also swam or waded in waste lagoons and contaminated wetlands near the Nyanza Inc. dye plant."

In most states, such as Texas, there is standard protocol to follow to try and find the pathway that is making residents sick. A team of epidemiologists will first question residents and evaluate numbers of cases to determine if there is a cluster or not. Your state may also have a registry set up online where you can find statistical data for your area.

What makes identification difficult is the number of cancer cases developing all across the U.S. "In the U.S., 1 in 3 people will develop cancer in his or her lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society (Cancer Facts and Figures 2005), about 1,372,910 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2005." (CDC)

Nobody wants to live in a community that they believe will make them sick. To avoid a mass panic or rapid drop in home values, scientists and healthcare professionals must come into the community to evaluate the situation.

Clearly, some people have become ill because of toxic exposure and clusters undoubtedly exist.

For more information on cancer prevention, click here.

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