Ladera Ranch parents seek answers after new cancer data raises cluster concerns

Parents in the Orange County community of Ladera Ranch have renewed calls for an investigation into whether environmental factors contributed to a series of rare childhood cancers. The California Cancer Registry reported fewer than 11 cases of Ewing sarcoma in the area over a ten-year period ending in 2021, but families note additional diagnoses since then, including the recent death of 17-year-old Brody Matteson.

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley told CBS that she has asked for a detailed map of the 35 cases reported in the county as of 2021, but officials have not provided one. She said, "If it has grown, has it grown to a significant incident that it would be a cause for alarm. We need answers so that we can plan. So that we can protect the public health."

Local residents, such as Karen Smith, expressed frustration, saying, "It seems like it's an unreal number of kids sick. We want to know what is the true cause." Health authorities have said no causal link between pesticide or herbicide applications and the cancers has been established.

Ewing sarcoma is a rare bone and soft-tissue cancer that affects roughly 200 to 240 children and teens nationwide each year, according to the American Cancer Society. The community has also seen other rare cancers, including synovial sarcoma in an 18-year-old resident.

Federal officials have become involved. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin requesting a review of potential environmental contributors and compliance with federal environmental laws. At the same time, Bond Legal has launched its own inquiry, seeking information on historical pesticide use, soil and groundwater conditions, and prior agricultural activity in the area.

The investigation remains ongoing, with local and federal agencies reviewing the data to determine whether further action is warranted.