Local Children Diagnosed With Rare Cancer
MARINE CITY (WWJ) - A Michigan Congresswoman is asking the Centers for Disease Control to look into a number of rare cancer cases cropping up in St. Clair and Macomb counties.
Seven Wilms' tumor cases have been reported in seven local children in the last four years.
U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, who serves Michigan's 10th congressional district, said this type of kidney cancer normally strikes only one person every three to five years locally, and 500 people per year nationally.
"To date, we actually have about seven cases (locally), I believe. In fact, there is one case, also, in Macomb County. These numbers are much higher than, you know, you would normally expect. It's a very rare cancer," Miller said.
Most of the cases have come from the Marine City area, which has industrial plants and sits more than 10 miles down the St. Clair River from a number of petrochemical plants. Although, there are no indications yet that the cases are linked.
"Quite frankly, the local area, the capacity for them to investigate these kinds of events is insufficient. They just don't have the funds and the resources necessary. So, I've asked the Centers for Disease Control to help this very concerned community," Miller said.
It's unclear what is causing the cancer, and whether it's environmental or genetic.
Find out more about Wilms' tumor at this link.
