U.S. Attorney requests EPA review after cluster of rare cancers in Orange County children
Six children in a wealthy Southern California suburb have been diagnosed with rare cancers, prompting a federal prosecutor to ask the EPA to examine possible pesticide exposure.
A federal prosecutor has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to review potential pesticide exposure after several families in Ladera Ranch, Orange County, reported rare childhood cancers. In a Thursday letter, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli cited CDC and National Cancer Institute guidance that unusual cancer patterns and community concerns about environmental risks should be evaluated scientifically.
Parents speaking to local media said six children have been diagnosed with cancers such as Ewing sarcoma and synovial sarcoma, both of which affect only a few hundred individuals nationwide each year. One mother described her son’s diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma on the spine and his subsequent death at age 17, while another recounted her daughter’s amputation following a synovial sarcoma diagnosis.
Federal officials have not confirmed a common cause, but the families hope the investigation will clarify whether environmental factors contributed to the cases. Community leaders have responded by forming a committee to review the homeowners association’s landscaping practices and consider non-toxic alternatives.
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute recognize that unusual patterns of cancer and community concerns regarding potential environmental exposures should be evaluated through a systematic, science-based process," the attorney’s letter states.
"I think people need to listen and wake up and realize something is happening to our children," one parent said.
The request for an EPA review is pending, and officials have not yet determined any link between pesticide use and the cancers reported.