Geographical cancer clusters continue to baffle scientists and researchers
Over a year of state investigation has failed to determine why children in The Acreage, Florida, have experienced a spike in brain and central nervous system tumors. Tests of soil and water indicate no signs of pollution or anything else that could explain the cluster, and the residential property in The Acreage has since been deemed safe by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. Rarely do scientists find a firm environmental cause for cancer clusters afflicting a geographic region. One reason is that cancer has many origins, including genetic mutations, and not everyone exposed to carcinogens will develop cancer.
Historically, cancers developed from workplace exposure have been far easier to resolve. Such was the case with the surgeon who discovered, in 1775, that that chimney sweeps developed scrotal cancer from exposure to coal soot. And the same can be said about the researchers identified the link between World War II-era exposure to asbestos and ship workers’ with mesothelioma(also known as asbestos cancer) in 1965.
In both workplace cases, the toxic materials involved and the evidenced prolonged exposure, made the cause and effect connection far easier to pinpoint. When several pleural mesothelioma sufferers - those with cancer of the pleura, the lining around the lungs - have regularly inhaled asbestos – a toxic substance banned in the 1950’s - at work for decades, it’s difficult to disregard evidence of a connection.
In comparison to the detection of workplace exposure, detecting the cause of geographical clusters is the equivalent of looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.