Cancer clusters

[allantiques4me]

Im just curious,and a little concerned.Would any of you know how to do some research on an area with a lot of cases of cancer?Heres my story.I grew up in an area where Ive heard one case after another of persons with various types of cancer diagnoses,I happen to still work in the area that I grew up as a little girl.I remember a distinct odor in the air as a child,and today,40 years later,the smell is still there.Last year at my job,three people died of various cancers.I am concerned now that Im getting a little older.Im not quite sure how to research this.Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also,my mother in law is an identical twin(she smokes like a freight train and doesnt have cancer)HerTwin sister who lived in the neighborhood died last year of breast cancer!What do you guys think?

[GingerSue]

is there a public health department nearby?

[herecomestrouble]

I don't know how you would go about finding out any facts about it but it sure sounds suspicious.Can you move and change jobs?

[MikeyJ, RN]

This sounds like something off of the movie Erin Brockovitch. Do you have any type of factories or the like where you live?

There are areas of the country where cancer rates are much higher and they are usually attributed to factories, water contamination, and other types of pollution. But I would think that these areas have been addressed by governmental agencies.

[allantiques4me]

I don't know how you would go about finding out any facts about it but it sure sounds suspicious.Can you move and change jobs?

Im sure I could change jobs,I absolutely love my job.Not sure if all this is coinsidence.

[allantiques4me]

This sounds like something off of the movie Erin Brockovitch. Do you have any type of factories or the like where you live?

There are areas of the country where cancer rates are much higher and they are usually attributed to factories, water contamination, and other types of pollution. But I would think that these areas have been addressed by governmental agencies.

Ther used to be a steel mill up the street.Theyve since knocked it down. thank God It was so ugly.Thats only been a couple of years ago.And its very close to Lake Erie.I love the movie Erin Brochovich! i tell my sister I want to be like Erin Brochovich and find out the reason for the cases of cancer.

[justpoorfect]

You can look up statistical data by county at this Ohio website http://dwhouse.odh.ohio.gov/datawarehousev2.htm

This kind of data mining was taught to us last semester in Community Health class. :)

Good luck in your search.

Joy, BSN student

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

All states have a department that monitors claims of cancer clusters. Public Health/Public Safety...that sort of thing. I am a community health nurse and cancer cluster issues surface all the time. I do presentations on the issue.

I can tell you that in my review of the literature, hardly any of these fears pan out. Most of the successful suits were just that, financial payouts without any actual scientific proof. In my own building there was a frenzy about this and the data showed that an aging work population would have exactly the number of cancer cases that we had.

Start with your state department of health. This won't be a new question and they'll probably know where to send you.

[miss arron]

go to the epa's website and you'll be able to find out about air and water quality in your area. also check for superfund sites in the area - these are sites that were declared to be exceptionally hazardous...

i used to be an emissions controls engineer and am currently working on something similair awaiting acceptance to nursing school, i'd be happy to help with any of the technical info, just PM me

[allantiques4me]

Thanks guys for all your responses.