Federal funding is eyed to probe Fallon leukemia

Monday, March 5, 2001 | 10:48 a.m.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said today he is prepared to ask for federal funding for an expanded investigation of childhood leukemia in the rural and military town of Fallon after a 12th case was confirmed last week.

Dr. Randall Todd, state epidemiologist, confirmed Friday that a 19-year-old Eureka County resident with acute lymphocytic leukemia was among the cases being investigated after interviews with family members.

The latest leukemia patient was born in Fallon, but moved to nearby Eureka County in 1982. He was diagnosed with leukemia last year.

The dozen cases include current or former Fallon residents who are 19 years old or younger. Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a cancer that affects white blood cells, causing them to grow uncontrollably in bone marrow. No one knows what triggers ALL, the most common form of childhood leukemia.

Reid said today he plans to conduct a congressional hearing in Fallon during the third week in April, after which he might ask for the funding. The Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee has not confirmed the dates yet, Reid's spokeswoman, Tessa Haven, said.

State health officer Dr. Mary Guinan said no additional information was available this morning.

The state Health Division has set up a community information line that operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The number is: (888) 608-4623.

Assemblywoman Marcia de Braga, D-Fallon, announced the investigation of the young man's disease last week. She said a 13-year-old boy was another potential leukemia case, but he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, another blood disorder.

After hearings in February, de Braga requested the state to provide $1 million in funds for a public education program and expanded environmental testing in Fallon. The Assembly is expected to consider her request this week.

Of the dozen diagnosed cases of leukemia, six are male and six are female, with nine living in Fallon at the time of their diagnosis. Todd said that nine of the cases were diagnosed in 2000, a rate of the disease about 42 times higher than expected in Fallon's population.

State health investigators are preparing a formal request for assistance from a special branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.