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CANCER CAUSE NEAR SANTA SUSANA FIELD LAB DISPUTED; GENETICS VS. POLLUTION DEBATED IN 11 CHILDREN'S CASES OF RARE RETINOBLASTOMA
Date Published: April 12, 2008
Daily News
Written by: Kerry Cavanaugh

Staff Writer

Researchers are at odds over whether 11 cases of a rare eye cancer found in West Valley children could be linked to pollution from the nearby Santa Susana Field Lab.

Last year, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles, asked the California Department of Public Health to investigate the possibility of a cancer cluster after she learned that nine children in the area had been diagnosed with retinoblastoma - an aggressive eye cancer.

Department of Public Health analysts found 11 cases of retinoblastoma over eight years within 10 miles of the field lab.

While conceding that the incidence was slightly higher than expected, the agency report found "no statistically significant excess of retinoblastoma" and suggested that the cases were caused by genetics, not environmental issues.

But epidemiologist Hal Morgenstern, who has studied cancer rates around the field lab, said the state analysis was too broad to rule out pollution as a possible cause.

"What was done by the state really didn't address the concerns the parents had," Morgenstern said.

"I don't think you can dismiss possible environmental factors, and I don't think you can dismiss time and spatial clustering."

Professor Morgenstern heads the epidemiology program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. In a state study in the 1990s, he found higher rates of some cancers among Santa Susana Field Lab workers.

In a federal study released in 2007, he found higher rates of some cancers in the community within two miles of the lab.

Morgenstern was contacted several years ago by a group of West Valley mothers whose children had retinoblastoma, and he consulted with the state Department of Public Health for its analysis of a possible retinoblastoma cluster.

The Mothers for Retinoblastoma Awareness said they couldn't comment about the recent studies.

The rare, fast-growing eye cancer is found in children younger than 5 and can begin growing while a child is still in the womb. Often it isn't detected until it has grown so large that the eye must be removed.

Some 250 children in the United States and Canada are diagnosed with retinoblastoma each year. Nationally, statisticians expect 11 cases per million children under age 5.

Yet the Department of Public Health study found 11 cases of retinoblastoma among 30,000 children within 10 miles of the lab.

The study covered an 18-year period, although all retinoblastoma cases occurred between 1998 and 2005. The children lived in Canoga Park, Woodland Hills and Simi Valley.

Analysts anticipated 7.5 incidents of retinoblastoma, based on state statistics, but the Department of Public Health's Dr. Donald Lyman said the 11 cases were not a statistically significant excess.

Morgenstern said the study covered too large an area and too long a time period, diluting significance of the fact that all the retinoblastoma cases occurred within eight years and a concentrated area.

"If there were some clusterings in space and time, they would probably be obscured in this analysis," he said.

In a letter to Kuehl, Lyman defended the radius chosen for the study: "A smaller radius around the (Santa Susana Field Lab) would have excluded key neighborhoods where the concerned families reside." He also defended the time period selected.

Kuehl said she was disappointed with the state study.

"They intentionally made the study so broad that you couldn't show a cluster and neglected the time period," Kuehl said.

Rather than call for a new analysis, Kuehl said she is considering holding a hearing to determine whether oversight is needed on how the Department of Public Health and California Cancer Registry conduct studies of cancer clusters.

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ROCKETDYNEWATCH NEWS ARTICLE ARCHIVE CANCER CAUSE NEAR SANTA SUSANA FIELD LAB DISPUTED; GENETICS VS. POLLUTION DEBATED IN 11 CHILDREN'S CASES OF RARE RETINOBLASTOMA Date Published: April 12, 2008 Daily News Written by: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer Researchers are at odds over whether 11 cases of a rare eye cancer found in West Valley children could be linked to pollution from the nearby Santa Susana Field Lab. Last year, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles, asked the California Department of Public Health to investigate the possibility of a cancer cluster after she learned that nine children in the area had been diagnosed with retinoblastoma - an aggressive eye cancer. Department of Public Health analysts found 11 cases of retinoblastoma over eight years within 10 miles of the field lab. While conceding that the incidence was slightly higher than expected, the agency report found "no statistically significant excess of retinoblastoma" and suggested that the cases were caused by genetics, not environmental issues. But epidemiologist Hal Morgenstern, who has studied cancer rates around the field lab, said the state analysis was too broad to rule out pollution as a possible cause. "What was done by the state really didn't address the concerns the parents had," Morgenstern said. "I don't think you can dismiss possible environmental factors, and I don't think you can dismiss time and spatial clustering." Professor Morgenstern heads the epidemiology program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. In a state study in the 1990s, he found higher rates of some cancers among Santa Susana Field Lab workers. In a federal study released in 2007, he found higher rates of some cancers in the community within two miles of the lab. Morgenstern was contacted several years ago by a group of West Valley mothers whose children had retinoblastoma, and he consulted with the state Department of Public Health for its analysis of a possible retinoblastoma cluster. The Mothers for Retinoblastoma Awareness said they couldn't comment about the recent studies. The rare, fast-growing eye cancer is found in children younger than 5 and can begin growing while a child is still in the womb. Often it isn't detected until it has grown so large that the eye must be removed. Some 250 children in the United States and Canada are diagnosed with retinoblastoma each year. Nationally, statisticians expect 11 cases per million children under age 5. Yet the Department of Public Health study found 11 cases of retinoblastoma among 30,000 children within 10 miles of the lab. The study covered an 18-year period, although all retinoblastoma cases occurred between 1998 and 2005. The children lived in Canoga Park, Woodland Hills and Simi Valley. Analysts anticipated 7.5 incidents of retinoblastoma, based on state statistics, but the Department of Public Health's Dr. Donald Lyman said the 11 cases were not a statistically significant excess. Morgenstern said the study covered too large an area and too long a time period, diluting significance of the fact that all the retinoblastoma cases occurred within eight years and a concentrated area. "If there were some clusterings in space and time, they would probably be obscured in this analysis," he said. In a letter to Kuehl, Lyman defended the radius chosen for the study: "A smaller radius around the (Santa Susana Field Lab) would have excluded key neighborhoods where the concerned families reside." He also defended the time period selected. Kuehl said she was disappointed with the state study. "They intentionally made the study so broad that you couldn't show a cluster and neglected the time period," Kuehl said. Rather than call for a new analysis, Kuehl said she is considering holding a hearing to determine whether oversight is needed on how the Department of Public Health and California Cancer Registry conduct studies of cancer clusters. Click here to subscribe to the Daily News In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. Search by Keyword
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