New childhood leukemia case surfaces in Fallon

Monday, Jan. 1, 2001 | 10:16 a.m.

In a copyright story in its Saturday editions, the Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard newspaper said the latest case involves a 5-year-old Fallon boy diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia in November.

The cases are under investigation by the state Health Division, which is searching for a common link among the children. Eight of the nine cases have surfaced this year.

"To see this many cases all of a sudden is unusual," state epidemiologist Randall Todd told the newspaper. "It is something that has us concerned. If there is something in the environment, we need to find it so we can prevent further cases."

Since the investigation began in July, Todd has met with the children and their families but has been unable to find any common factors that could account for the cause.

He said it's only a remote possibility that the leukemia is linked to local water supplies, noting water sources differ for each family.

The city of Fallon is under a federal Environmental Protection Agency order to treat its drinking water, which is double the federal arsenic standard.

EPA officials have said they're unaware of any public water system in the country that has such a high level of arsenic.

Outlying residents use household wells for drinking water.

In a search for clues, Todd tracked down the scientific studies of childhood leukemia in Woburn, Mass., the basis for the book and film, "A Civil Action."

The Massachusetts case is associated with women drinking water from two wells containing several contaminants while they were pregnant.

According to Todd, there was a small amount of arsenic in the wells in Woburn, but it was not found to be responsible for the leukemia there.

"Many times we don't find any common factors," Todd said. "The odds of this type of investigation yielding answers is not good, but the importance is high ... We have not found an answer yet and there is quite a bit more work that has to be done."

No one knows what causes childhood leukemia. Suspected triggers include radiation exposure, electromagnetic fields or volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, solvents and fossil fuels.

Arlene McDonnell, director of quality risk management for Churchill Community Hospital in Fallon, said others have speculated about the effect of nuclear testing outside Fallon in the 1960s or activities associated with the Fallon Naval Air Station.

"Think about all of the products we live with every day that we don't really think about," she said. "There are so many things we are exposed to each day ... It is way too premature to know anything.

"Are we concerned? Of course. Statistically, based on our population (8,300), this is huge. Is it a coincidence or is there a reason?"

The affected children range from a toddler to a 19-year-old. All of them are not life-long residents, and one of them moved to Fallon with leukemia.

Todd said he would release more details about the investigation when he meets this week with other state officials.