Study Of Acreage Cancer Clusters Ends
WEST PALM BEACH (CBS4) - The search for the reason behind an elevated level of childhood brain cancer in western Palm Beach County is over without a clear answer.
The Centers for Disease Control sent a letter to Palm Beach County Health officials last week saying they agreed with state investigators who could not find a cause for the childhood brain cancer cases in the Acreage.
The letter reads in part: "After thorough review of the documents listed above, we found that the investigation completed by the FLDOH (Florida Department of Health) was comprehensive and scientifically appropriate. Based on the data provided, we concur with the conclusion of the FLDOH that the investigation (including the case control study and environmental testing) did not reveal any potential risk factors for which exposure among cases was statistically significantly higher than exposure among the controls. We do not have any recommendations for additional epidemiologic studies or environmental testing at this time."
Investigators say they've tested the soil and water and could not determine a cause.
But that isn't enough for Tracy Newfield, mother of a child who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2005 and had a brain tumor removed. Her daughter is doing well.
"I'm just so thankful to have another thanksgiving with her," Newfield told CBS 4's Carey Codd.
Newfield is demanding more testing.
"A complete study would have put us all at ease and I think we're going on a false sense of security here and it's worrisome," Newfield told me.
Newfield wants the air and canals tested. Health officials say they continually test the air and sent the results to the state, who did not see a need for more testing.
Newfield said investigators tested the soil at her home and found elevated levels of arsenic and a carcinogen. To this day, she said, she doesn't know what those results mean for the health of her family.
However, some in the area -- like longtime resident and realtor Cheri Knottnerus -- say the decision by the feds will bring a sense of relief to the area.
"It's a stigma that will stick with us," she said. "But we are a tight knit community. I think we can overcome it."
Knottnerus added that interest in homes in the area has increased in recent months. She believes one of the reasons is that news about the investigation has died down.
The investigation began after 4 children were diagnosed with brain cancer between 2005 and 2007. Health officials determined that number was higher than it should be.
Tim O'Connor, spokesman for the Palm Beach County Health Department, said they stand ready to work with families who are still concerned. Also, he said the county is monitoring pediatric brain cancer cases in the area.
"We're not abandoning this by any stretch of the imagination," O'Connor told me.
In addition, he said the focus on the potential cancer cluster has prompted a nationwide effort to better define and explain cancer clusters.
But the issue in the Acreage is not over.
Some families joined together to hire law firm Weitz & Luxenberg to investigate.
In a letter sent to state officials a few weeks ago, attorney Lemuel Srolovic wrote that "our appreciation for the work done thus far should not be mistaken for satisfaction."
Srolovic added that examination by the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection "of the air and the canals in the community is patently deficient, leaving two highly plausible pathways of exposure to unknown environmental contaminants unaddressed."
