Fallon cancer cause remains unknown

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004 | 10:42 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- After two years of study, a panel of experts says it could not find the cause of the childhood cancer cluster in Fallon.

Between 1997 and 2002, 16 children who lived in Churchill County were diagnosed with leukemia. Three have died.

The panel, led by Thomas Sinks, associate director for science at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, delivered its final report Monday night in Fallon. Its conclusion: "The causes of childhood leukemia, including those from Churchill County, Nevada, remain unknown."

The team said the biological samples taken from the children should be retained for further research into the problem that has occurred in other parts of the nation. It said, however, it does not recommend specific follow-up research of the Fallon cluster at this time.

"To date, investigations of childhood leukemia clusters have been disappointing for researchers, health departments and communities," the final report said. "Additional efforts to establish and study biologically plausible theories and testable hypotheses for childhood leukemia clusters are warranted."

The team examined the high levels of arsenic in the water system but noted those high arsenic levels have existed in the water supply that has been used in the area for at least 60 years. The team said the arsenic intake was considered hazardous, but added it was not associated with the occurrence of childhood leukemia.

Construction is nearing completion on a new treatment facility to remove the arsenic. And a program has been started to encourage those who are served by private wells to have their water tested for arsenic.

There also was an elevated level of tungsten in the drinking water, but there is no information that suggests it can cause childhood leukemia, the panel said. Other parts of Nevada have the same tungsten level, it said. It added there should be more study on the health effects in drinking water.

In measurements of the soils, surface water, air and indoor dust, "No exposures of public health concern related to the leukemia investigation were identified."

The pipelines bringing JP-8 jet fuel to the Navy were examined and "there were no past or present public health hazards from exposures," the report said.

The team looked at the possibility that a large increase in population may have sparked the rise in the leukemia rate. It said rural communities may have a high percentage of children with limited exposure "to some infectious agent" and a rapid increase in population may spread the infection through the non-immune population of children.

But it said there was no significant increase in the number of permanent Fallon residents in the years prior to the cancer cluster. But there were between 20,000 and 50,000 temporary personnel at the Naval Air Station between 1993 and 2000. The panel said these population changes may or may not be responsible for the relatively high incidence of childhood leukemia.

The panel said the state should keep a close watch to determine if additional cases of leukemia develop among the youngsters.

Other members of the panel were Dr. Malcolm Smith, head of the pediatric section of the cancer therapy evaluation program at the National Cancer Institute; Dr. William L. Carroll, chief of the combined division of pediatric hematology/oncology at Mount Sinai and New York University Schools of Medicine; Dr. Caroline Hastings of the Children's Hospital in Oakland, Calif.; and community members Carinsa Rivers, Roberta Lindeman and Rachel Dahl-Curtis.