Senate aides to help with cancer probe

Friday, Jan. 19, 2001 | 10:16 a.m.

Cancer experts from across the country have joined forces to investigate 11 cases of childhood leukemia in Fallon, and Sen. Harry Reid is sending in top congressional staff members to aid state officials.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has been invited to Nevada, Reid said Thursday, to conduct a preliminary investigation into the reasons for the "alarmingly high cluster cases" of acute lymphomatic leukemia in children ranging in age from 2 to 19 years old.

The committee's director Eric Washburn and an ecotoxicologist plan complete a preliminary investigation leading to a full congressional hearing in Fallon, 60 miles east of Reno, later in the spring, Reid, D-Nev., said.

"I am concerned that while there is an identifiable pattern among these cases, we still have no answers for why there is such an unnaturally high rate of leukemia among children living in Fallon," Reid said. "I am determined to exhaust every resource available to get to the bottom of this tragedy."

Nine cases of the childhood cancer have been confirmed in the past three years, and two other cases have been reported but not confirmed.

A panel of health experts experienced in leukemia investigations at the schools of health from the University of Minnesota, University of California, Berkeley, and San Diego State University will join the CDC, state Health Officer Dr. Mary Guinan's spokeswoman Luanna Rich said.

"It is of utmost importance that the concerns of the affected families be addressed rapidly, and thoroughly and the formation of this panel will help us achieve that goal," she said.

The state has also asked for the National Cancer Institute's help.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has been invited to join the investigation.

The federal agency had been just reviewing preliminary investigation results gathered by state epidemiologist Randall Todd.

Gov. Kenny Guinn is expected to meet with state health officials, a representative of the Naval Air Station in Fallon, Fallon Mayor Ken Tedford, Assemblywoman Marcia De Braga, D-Fallon, and state Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon on Thursday.

De Braga is scheduling legislative hearings on the cancer cases Feb. 11 and 12 in Fallon.

The state's investigation showed the only tie among the first seven cases was that each child lived in Fallon for some time between 1996 and 1999.