The Union County Health Department (UCHD) hosted a town hall discussion about pediatric cancer rates in the area at the Union County Veterans Memorial Auditorium Thursday night. The department proposed a new study to be conducted in the county that would ask families of pediatric cancer patients about their history in order to gather information. Pictured are, left to right, UCHD epidemiologist Mary Salimbene Merriman, Mill Valley Pediatrics physician Dr. Laura Sorg and UCHD Health Commissioner Jason Orcena. Dr. Justin Krueger is also shown, partially obscured by Orcena.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Jacob Runnels)
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The Union County Health Department (UCHD) wants to improve the county’s understanding of pediatric cancer.
The UCHD held a town hall presentation to educate residents about pediatric cancer and how the department tracks it at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium Thursday night. Jason Orcena, the UCHD health commissioner who also helped host the presentation, introduced the audience to a new pediatric cancer study the department wants to conduct.
“Our primary concern is addressing the questions and fears this community has and being an advocate with the state and the folks who are cancer experts to figure out what’s going on if something is going on,” Orcena said. “Even though I’m telling you your expectations should be pretty small, it’s not because we’re not advocating for you. It’s the mountain we’re facing in regards to cancer investigations and studies.”
According to information in the presentation, leukemia and brain cancer are the most common instances of pediatric cancer. The county has been measuring cancer data for the last 20 years.
It was confirmed pediatric cancer is on the rise in the United States, and researchers aren’t sure why. Also, cancer generally hits adults later in life while it affects children genetically, making it harder to compare the information.
Orcena said researchers aren’t sure what’s the best way to study cancer, as all cancers have different causes, mechanisms and age groups that are affected.
“Part of what we’re doing does not rely on statistics, part of it is building toward the future,” he said. “We’re trying to gather data to get ahead of future cases as much as what we’re looking at that’s already happening.”
He said the UCHD’s focus for studying cancer is by looking at the community. This is through identifying what can “trigger” cancer within people, be it environmental or genetic.
Orcena said he’s asking the community for its permission to engage in the study to help further the department’s understanding of pediatric cancer.
“If we do this study, then at least we’re building that knowledge and information so if we continue to see what we’re seeing right now, we have something to build upon that study as we move into the future. It will give us a more comprehensive picture.”
He said, if pediatric cancer-affected families are willing to help provide information to the department, the study would begin as soon as August after letters of invitation to participate are sent out. Then, data analysis and a report would be drafted from May, 2020, to December, 2021.
“I’m suggesting we do it because, fundamentally, I can’t tell you I’ve looked at every possible thing that could cause a child to have cancer in our community today,” Orcena said. “I’ve looked at what I know and what I know doesn’t seem to be linked to those cancers, but I can’t say I’ve looked at everything. I can’t do that without doing more studying, getting more data and getting more information.”
He said those interested in finding families to gather information may contact the UCHD or visit its website.
Throughout the presentation, the audience was educated on what cancer is and what is known to cause it. The audience was also informed about the limitations of cancer research.
UCHD epidemiologist Zach Colles said the department is measuring for abnormalities in the county compared to the state to see if there’s a different pattern of pediatric cancer cases.
“One of the things we have to work through is looking to see if there are similar types of cancer in a geographic space,” Colles said.
Colles said the department is listening to the community’s concerns as to what could be carcinogens, such as fertilizers. He said the department needs to measure for a lot of factors, as cancers can form as late as many years after exposure.
He said the department hasn’t seen “anything immediately.” However, he said the department has been able to confirm chromium VI and radon are “not known to be linked to pediatric cancer.”
“(Radon) takes prolonged exposure, sometimes a lifetime of exposure, to an environmental hazard to result in the development of cancer,” Colles said. “Which is why we see environmental hazards linked to adult cancers as opposed to pediatric cancers.”
He said, until cancer experts are able to identify the risk factors, it’s difficult to pinpoint an issue. He said the department needs more data about environmental exposures, though that can still be difficult when there is a small pool of data to access within the county.
The presentation was also hosted by Dr. Justin Krueger, a pediatrician at Mill Valley Pediatrics, Dr. Laura Sorg, a family medicine doctor at Mill Valley Pediatrics and UCHD epidemiologist Mary Salimbene Merriman.