Residents fear Valley Center is site of cluster

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20020322-9999_1mi22cancer.htm

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Feinstein to review cancer investigation

Residents fear Valley Center is site of cluster

By Millay

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

March 22, 2002

VALLEY CENTER - The investigation into a possible cluster of childhood

cancer here has caught the attention of a prominent politician: Sen. Dianne

Feinstein.

Known for her efforts to promote cancer research, Feinstein, D-Calif., is

co-chairwoman of the Senate Cancer Coalition and vice chairwoman of the

National Dialogue on Cancer.

Kerry Carr, a local resident whose son has leukemia, began writing

letters late last year to Feinstein, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Gov.

Gray . She urged them to seek federal assistance for the state and

county investigation. So far, Feinstein is the only one who responded.

Feinstein wrote in a March 1 letter that one of her aides has contacted the

national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Carr's behalf. The

senator promised to contact Carr again when the agency responds in six to

eight weeks.

" I appreciate your bringing this to my attention and giving me an

opportunity to see if my office can be of assistance, " Feinstein wrote. " My

San Francisco staff will do all they can to help you. "

Since 1997, 17 children in Valley Center have been diagnosed with leukemia,

brain tumors or other cancers. Carr found 14 cases during a personal survey

that began last summer. This year, she learned of three more cases.

State and county health officials launched an investigation after Carr

shared her findings with them last year. Investigators have not determined

whether the 17 cases are a cluster, the occurrence of a

greater-than-expected number of cases of a disease within a group of people,

geographic area or time period. Experts say confirmed clusters usually do

not involve different types of cancers.

Jim Hock, Feinstein's press secretary, said the senator is interested in the

Valley Center cases because finding causes and a cure for cancer are among

her top priorities. " She will hold the appropriate federal authorities' feet

to the fire, " he said.

Carr said she wrote letters to the senators and governor with the hope of

getting federal assistance at an early stage in the investigation. A federal

agency may have more money available to fund some of the expensive tests on

the air, soil and water in Valley Center, she said. Those test results could

help determine whether the cancer cases are linked to environmental factors.

" I'm just really happy that someone took notice, " Carr said.

Carr has encouraged Valley Centers residents to write letters to Boxer,

Feinstein and promoting the need for federal assistance. " If one

letter can do something, think of what 100 might do, " she said.

A confirmed cancer cluster in one state has attracted attention from

high-ranking politicians and the Centers for Disease Control. In April 2001,

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., was among a group of senators who attended a

federal hearing in Fallon, a town in Nevada where 14 children have

contracted childhood leukemia. The hearing was part of an investigation into

the cluster. No cause for the cancers has been determined.

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Millay: (760) 752-6745; christine.millay@...