By AMY RILEY
One Citizen's Opinion

More than a few people in Fayette County have expressed concern about what seems to them to be a higher than normal rate of cancer among local residents. In the interest of opening the topic for public dialogue, I began a process this past week of gathering information from our local health department, the state Department of Human Resources—Division of Public Health, and the National Cancer Institute.

In the course of conversations with the state Division of Public Health, I discovered that current queries are not the first. The Division of Public Health has a file on Fayette County which was established in 1997 in response to other concerned citizens' questions. At that time, there were some letters in the local newspapers, and communication between our local health department, the state Environmental Protection Division, and the District Four Health Services Director seeking answers to citizens' questions and a proper forum for public education on the issue.

The issue then and the issue now is whether or not Fayette County is a “hot spot” for cancer, or a “cancer cluster.”

The answer to that question is complicated, and will take some time to determine. It will also take a willingness on your part to participate in the process.

Three years ago, a concerned citizen placed a survey in the newspaper asking residents to report known cases of cancer. That information (minus names) was turned over to the state Division of Public Health, and is part of the Fayette County file. I have to admit that when I read the list of cases, it seemed compelling and extraordinary. The fact that we have added quite a few more to the list in the last three years does give a person ample reason for concern.

It seems unlikely, though, that we are dealing with a true cluster as defined by the National Cancer Institute, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't ask the questions or seek to have our fears addressed.

According to the National Cancer Institute, a cluster “is the occurrence of a greater than expected number of cases of a particular disease within a group of people, a geographic area, or a period of time.” They offer as examples the outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in the 1970s, the occurrence of birth defects in the 1960s among women who took thalidomide during their pregnancies, and the occurrence of a rare type of pneumonia in the early 1980s which eventually led to the identification of AIDS.

When a suspected cancer cluster is first reported, the health department gathers information and provides the caller with some general information about clusters.

According to the National Cancer Institute, “approximately 70 to 80 percent of reports of suspected cancer clusters are resolved at this initial contact stage because concerned individuals realize that what seemed like a cancer cluster is not a true cluster.”

The fact that many people in Fayette have only lived here a relatively short time, the fact that we are seeing a variety of cancer types, the fact that we represent a huge range of environmental backgrounds (from literally all over the country and beyond), and the fact that the process of carcinogenesis (changes within cells) usually occurs over the course of many years suggests we are most likely experiencing circumstance.

The National Cancer Institute reports that “cancer is a common disease; it strikes one of every three people and is the second-leading cause of death in this country.” Cancer is actually an “umbrella term for at least 100 different but related diseases, each of which may have its own set of causes.”

Cancer, which is the “uncontrolled growth...of abnormal cells,” is usually caused by a combination of factors including heredity, lifestyle and the environment. The fact that cancer occurs most often in older people who are now living longer “can create an impression of an abnormally high number of cases.”

To produce a preliminary set of data to present to the Division of Public Health, I am asking you to respond again to a public survey. It is not necessary to give your name, but if you will, provide contact information.

If our data warrants an official epidemiological study, trained professionals will be able to contact you directly to preserve your privacy.

Please include pertinent information, such as age, gender, race, street name or subdivision name, city, the type of cancer diagnosed, and how long you have been a resident of Fayette County. It would also be helpful to include any pertinent occupational or environmental history.

Please indicate if you were a respondent to the 1997 survey, and if you are reporting a case of primary cancer or metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancer is that which has spread or recurred.

I'll pass along the numbers (no names) in a future column, and will seek out some answers from our state and local health departments. Please respond to ARileyFreePress@aol.com. Or mail to Amy Riley, 146 Ardenlee, Peachtree City, GA 30269. Phone 770-632-9260.

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