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Topic: Cancer clusters

	Cancer Clusters
		Cancer clusters may be suspected when people report that several family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers have been diagnosed with the same or related cancer(s).
		Before a cluster can be considered "true," epidemiologists must show that the number of cancer cases which have occurred is significantly greater than the number of cases that would be expected, given the age, gender, and racial distribution of the group of people at risk of developing the disease.
		The tendency to define the borders of a cluster on the basis of where one knows the cases are located, rather than to first define the population and then determine if the number of cancers is excessive, creates many "clusters" that are not genuine.
	www.medhelp.org /lib/cancernet/600358.htm (2273 words)

	SC Central Cancer Registry-- Clusters (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		A cancer cluster is a group of more cancer cases than normal in a small area, like a neighborhood, or within a short time period.
		Cancer clusters are reported when people learn that an unusual number of their friends, family, neighbors or co-workers have cancer.
		A true cancer cluster exists when the number of cancer cases that occur is more than would be expected by chance to occur in a certain location or time period.
	www.scdhec.net /co/phsis/biostatistics/SCCCR/Clusters.htm (463 words)

	Cancer Clusters
		Another difficulty epidemiologists face when investigating a possible cancer cluster is accurately defining the group of people who should be considered “at risk.” One of the greatest pitfalls of defining clusters is the tendency to extend the geographic borders of the cluster to include additional cases of the suspected disease as they are discovered.
		A cancer cluster could be the result of chance, miscalculation of the expected number of cancer cases, or differences in the case definition (the criteria that determine whether or not the cases being investigated are related to the cluster) between observed cases and expected cases.
		Because most cancers are likely to be caused by a combination of factors related to genetics and environment (including behavior and lifestyle), studies of suspected cancer clusters usually focus on these two issues.
	www.cancersource.com /CancerBasics/PreventionScreening/Act/45,24925-1 (2468 words)

	Human Health Hazards - Cancer Clusters and Cancer Facts
		Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.
		Cancers are usually related to long-term lifestyle factors (like smoking) or significant exposure to a carcinogen for many years.
		A cancer cluster is an unusual number of the same type of cancers occurring over a given time among people who live in the same geographical area or workplace.
	www.dhfs.state.wi.us /eh/hlthhaz/fs/CancerClus.htm (718 words)

	Cancer Clusters - National Cancer Institute
		Cancer clusters may be suspected when people report that several family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers have been diagnosed with the same or related cancer(s) (see Defining Disease Clusters section).
		Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells anywhere in the body.
		A cancer cluster could be the result of chance, an error in the calculation of the expected number of cancer cases, or differences in the case definition between observed and expected cases.
	www.cancer.gov /cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/clusters (2668 words)

	rt-image.com: Your weekly source for RT Imaging, Radiology Jobs, Editorials and Articles
		When different types of cancers appear in a workplace, it is unlikely that a cancer cluster of environmental or occupational cause is to blame; likely, the cancers have occurred by chance.
		When a cancer cluster is suspected, epidemiologists use their knowledge of incidence of that specific cancer type in a population to determine the validity of its suspected environmental cause.
		In early 2003, the ACS estimated 675,300 new cases of cancer in males and 658,800 in females, suggesting that males are at an increased risk for cancer in comparison to females.
	www.rt-image.com /content=8904J05C489E5E8440B69C74444060441 (3202 words)

	ACS :: Cancer Clusters Hard to Prove
		The National Cancer Institute is financing a study in California to examine pesticides and childhood cancers, spurred by an unexpectedly high number of brain cancers in one area of the state.
		Cancer patients and their families won a $36.5 million judgement against the owners of a uranium plant in Apollo, Penn. The case is considered to be the first involving nuclear contamination and community health to be decided by a jury.
		Even in the theoretical situation of 100 cases of cancer with high exposure to radiation, not even one fourth would be caused by the exposure itself, Dr. Heath said, and it is impossible to determine which of the cases was caused by the exposure and which of the cases was not.
	www.cancer.org /docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Cancer_Clusters_Hard_to_Prove.asp (832 words)

	ACS :: Cancer Clusters
		Cancer clusters have received a good deal of attention in the media in recent years, both in the news and in Hollywood movies.
		Many people tend to think of a cancer cluster as a higher than normal number of cases of cancer in a defined community, which is usually thought to be caused by some type of environmental pollutant.
		In clusters that have been shown to be caused by a particular substance (again, mostly found in workplace settings), the time between exposure to the substance and the development of cancer has been anywhere from a few years to several decades.
	www.cancer.org /docroot/PED/content/PED_1_3x_Cancer_Clusters.asp?sitearea=PED (1959 words)

	Unexplained cancer clusters: common threads Archives of Environmental Health - Find Articles (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		A CANCER CLUSTER is an outbreak of a particular cancer, or cancers, in a group of individuals in greater than expected numbers following a common exposure by that group to a causative agent or agents.
		The cancer clusters may be in the form of single cancers per cluster or of specific multiple cancers per cluster.
		In every cluster, the cancer that ensued was attributed to the mixture because it could not be associated with exposure to any of the individual components of the exposure mixtures.
	www.findarticles.com /p/articles/mi_m0907/is_4_59/ai_n15734310 (817 words)

	Cancer Clusters: Home \| CDC HSB
		Genetic Studies of a Cluster of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cases in Churchill County, Nevada.
		A cancer cluster is a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a geographic area over a period of time...
		Status of Cancer Cluster Activities at CDC (As of January 2006)
	www.cdc.gov /nceh/clusters (505 words)

	Wired News: Cancer Clusters: It's the Water
		After accidents, cancer is the largest killer of children in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute and the National Childhood Cancer Foundation, and cancer in children is on the rise.
		Clusters of these cases are occurring in regions where drinking water has been contaminated by carcinogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) discharged by industry and municipalities into underground sources of drinking water (USDW).
		Historically, cluster investigations have been used by scientists to identify environmental factors causing a disease such as the outbreak of Legionnaire's disease in the 1970s from contaminated water in air conditioning ducts.
	www.wired.com /news/politics/1,31546-2.html (2163 words)

	Cancer cluster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		Cancer cluster is a term used by epidemiologists, statisticians, and public health workers to define an occurrence of a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases within a group of people in a geographic area over a period of time
		Cancer cluster suspicions usually arise when members of the general public report that their family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers have been diagnosed with the same or related cancers.
		It is possible that a suspected cancer cluster may be due to chance alone, however, only clusters that have a disease rate that is statistically significantly greater than the disease rate of the general population are investigated.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Cancer_cluster (399 words)

	Environment News: Cancer clusters: Statistically inevitable? (November 1999)
		Clustering of a specific type of cancer may suggest that the disease is caused by a virus or some other infectious agent that can be transmitted from person to person.
		However, many apparent cancer clusters are merely the result of random fluctuations in the incidence of cancer.
		The authors of the latest study ("Quantifying the effect of population mixing on childhood leukaemia risk: the Seascale cluster"), H.O. Dickinson and L. Parker, say their work shows that cancer clusters can be predicted by the amount of population mixing present in an area.
	www.heartland.org /archives/environment/nov99/acsh.htm (1007 words)

	South(west)paw: cancer clusters Archives (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		Although the cluster began in 1997, the environmental stressor that led to the damage of the MTHFR gene that predisposed the children to be unable to deal with other environmental stressors occurred earlier.
		The reason the CDC is 0 for 108 in identifying a cause of a cancer cluster is that it relies on the weakest approach in the scientist's toolbox.
		The population mixing theory of cancer clusters was invented by a British researcher, Leo Kinlen, to explain why the increase in cancer in Seascale near the Sellafield nuclear reactor was NOT related to the nuclear reactor.
	debfrisch.com /archives/cat_cancer_clusters.html (5357 words)

	LIBCSP Cancer Clusters
		The Breast Cancer and the Environment on Long Island study is a population-based case-control study conducted to determine if certain environmental factors may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer among women on Long Island.
		In the Breast Cancer Research and Treatment paper, the researchers report that the study population consisted of 1,508 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer (cases) over a one-year period beginning August 1996, and 1,556 women who did not have breast cancer (controls).
		Some recognized risk factors were not found to be associated with increased risk for breast cancer among all women in the study, however, such as early age at beginning of menstruation (menarche) and having attained a higher level of education.
	epi.grants.cancer.gov /LIBCSP/BCE.html?view=plain (652 words)

	Senate Cancer Coalition Discusses "Cancer Clusters"
		Epidemiologists define a “cluster” (sometimes called a “hotspot”) as the occurrence of a greater than expected incidence of a particular disease within a group of people, a geographic area, or a period of time.
		Cancer clusters may be suspected when people report that several family members, friends, neighbors, or co-workers have been diagnosed with cancer.
		Cancer clusters may provide valuable clues as to why cancer occurs at a higher rate in some areas and not in others or among one population group but not others.
	www.senate.gov /~feinstein/Speeches01/cancer_clusters.html (668 words)

	Article: Cancer Clusters
		Cancer clusters are one of the most frightening, frustrating situations a community can encounter.
		The lack of answers or assistance to the families of stricken children is a story filled with fear, helplessness, anger, self-blame, and disillusionment with the very people to whom they turn for help: their government officials.
		When a third child a block away was diagnosed with cancer, Randy's mother, Connie Rosales, realized something was terribly wrong and began to ask the Kern County officials to evaluate whether high nitrates in the water or pesticide spraying in nearby fields could be the culprit.
	www.ccaej.org /projects/canccluster.htm (2277 words)

	Role of the National Cancer Institute in Addressing Cancer Clusters, Statement of Robert Hoover, M.D., Sc.D., Director, ...
		We continuously introduce new tools to aid investigators in studying geographic variations of cancer incidence and impact, as well as the relationships of environmental factors with cancer development, and we consult closely with scientists from state and other federal agencies and academia to ensure that our resources are used to their maximum potential.
		Many types of cancer are complex genetic diseases; that is, they result not from changes in a single gene, but from the combined, small effects of many genes and the interaction of these genes with environmental, hormonal, and other factors.
		Our goal is to eradicate cancer and save the lives of those who would otherwise be lost to us, and we have a long tradition of working with other like-minded agencies, organizations, and individuals to ensure that research progress is translated into action that has a meaningful impact for all.
	www3.cancer.gov /legis/testimony/clusters.html (3034 words)

	Lung Cancer - oncologychannel
		If cancerous cells break away from the original tumor, travel, and grow within other body parts—such as the brain, bone, liver, adrenal glands, the opposite lung, or lymph nodes of the chest or collarbone (clavicle) regions—the process is known as metastasis.
		Lung cancer is the leading category of cancer death in men, and—since the late 1980s—it has surpassed breast cancer as the leading category of cancer death in women.
		The highest rates of lung cancer in men are found in the Maori population of New Zealand, and in several African-American groups, including the African American populations of New Orleans, the San Francisco Bay area, Detroit, and Alameda County, California.
	www.oncologychannel.com /lungcancer (1681 words)

	Senate Cancer Coalition Discusses "Cancer Clusters"
		Washington, DC – The Senate Cancer Coalition, chaired by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), today held a hearing to discuss “cancer clusters,” which are geographic areas where people have contracted certain types of cancer at an unusually high rate.
		Cancer clusters may be suspected when people report that several family members, friends, neighbors, or co-workers have been diagnosed with cancer.
		Cancer clusters may provide valuable clues as to why cancer occurs at a higher rate in some areas and not in others or among one population group but not others.
	feinstein.senate.gov /Speeches01/cancer_clusters.html (668 words)

	OSCaR Cancer Clusters
		A cancer cluster is a greater than expected number of cases of a specific cancer.
		Cancer clusters may be suspected when people report that several family members, friends, neighbors, or coworkers have been diagnosed with cancer.
		The first step in investigating a cancer cluster is to gather and document information regarding the number of cases, the population group or area involved, the time period over which cases occurred, and the suspected cause.
	www.oregon.gov /DHS/ph/oscar/clusters.shtml (153 words)

	Cancer Clusters: FAQ \| CDC HSB
		A cancer cluster is defined as a greater than expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people, in a geographic area, or over a period of time.
		Cancer cluster investigations are complex and difficult for several reasons.
		Although any cancer case is one too many, suspected cancer clusters often do not contain enough cases for investigators to do a meaningful statistical analysis or reach a conclusion.
	www.cdc.gov /nceh/clusters/faq.htm (1145 words)

	Cancer Clusters, Statistics, and Proof
		After lots of tests, nothing unusual was found, but some were still convinced that there was some cause-and-effect relationship between living on that street and the cancer incidence.
		Similarly, the average cancer incidence for each 100 people living in a neighborhood may be one per year (I don't know what the correct number is.) As there are about 250 million people in the USA, there are 2.5 million groups of 100 people.
		The group with zero cases is not necessarily in a safer neighborhood that the group with the 10 cases.
	www.quackwatch.org /01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Cancer/clusters.html (373 words)

	Investigating cancer clusters National Public Radio (NPR) Talk of the Nation/Science 27jul01 (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		As you know, when there is a cancer cluster, most people feel that the environment is the cause of it.
		A cluster can be thought of sort of as a hot spot of cancer risk in the geographic area and over a certain period of time.
		And so when their cancer or leukemia is reported, it would be reported where they reside at the time of their diagnosis.
	www.mindfully.org /Health/Cancer-Clusters-NPR.htm (4107 words)

	LIBCSP - New Statistical Methodology for Determining Cancer Clusters
		Martin Kulldorff, while at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, Md., and colleagues developed an innovative statistical technique that shows that women living in a broad stretch of the metropolitan northeastern United States, which includes Long Island, are slightly more likely to die from breast cancer than women in other parts of the Northeast.
		The 1997 study does not explain why these women are at higher risk of death, and the researchers note that the increase may be due to differences in well-established risk factors for breast cancer which they were unable to include in the analysis.
		The researchers found that the breast cancer mortality rate along a section of the East Coast stretching from New York City to Philadelphia was 7.4 percent higher than the rest of the Northeast.
	epi.grants.cancer.gov /LIBCSP/projects/CancerClusters.html (181 words)

	List of cancer clusters - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		It should be noted that a cancer cluster is a statistical event, which may or may not have a cause other than chance.
		A cluster of childhood leukemia near a nuclear reactor in Northern Germany.
		A cluster of childhood leukemias near two neighbouring nuclear installations in Northern Germany: prevalence of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/List_of_cancer_clusters (579 words)

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