Coincidence or cluster? State seeks help to examine cancer cases in Henry County
The Indiana State Department of Health is asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for help investigating a potential cluster of brain cancer cases in Henry County.
State health officials started looking into concerns this summer that an unusually high number of people living in the same neighborhood had been diagnosed with a type of brain cancer, known as glioblastoma, over the past 23 months.
“We are listening closely to people’s concerns and methodically investigating these cases,” said State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams in a statement released Friday.
Two people living close to each other and a third who lived about a mile away all developed the rare brain cancer, said Dr. Joan Duwve, chief medical officer, in an interview.
A family member contacted the state, concerned that something environmental might lurk behind this rash of cases. It is not uncommon for the state to investigate such concerns, but of the 28 potential cancer clusters that the state has looked into since 2011, none has been confirmed.
Epidemiologists turned to the Indiana State Cancer Registry, which compiles all the cases of the disease diagnosed in this state. From 1999 to 2013, 26 people were diagnosed with the disease, according to the registry. From 2014 to 2015, an additional six patients were diagnosed, according to the state registry and interviews with residents.
“Statistically speaking, this is totally within suspected levels for this cancer when you look at population of the community,” Duwve said. “But you know that you throw the dice and things like that can land. The dice can land anywhere on any number at any time.”
State health officials also looked into whether well water or soil might have contributed. But there are no known environmental triggers of that nature for glioblastoma.
High doses of radiation, such as those given therapeutically to head and neck cancer patients, do increase a person’s risk, but state health investigators found no such connection.
Because glioblastoma is such a rare disease — with about two to three cases per 100,000 people, according to the American Association of Neurosurgeons — the health department has reached out to national experts on glioblastoma and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to ensure the department has not overlooked any possible factors.
“Out of an abundance of cautions with consulting with experts … to make sure that we haven’t missed anything,” Duwve said. “We just want to reassure people that we do take this seriously. Of course if this was my neighborhood, I would be worried, as well.”
The state’s efforts so far already go beyond the CDC guidelines for investigating potential cancer clusters, state health officials said in a news release. Cancer clusters occur when the number of cases in an area is higher than expected or can be definitely linked to a specific cause.
“The sad truth is that we may never know why any of these individuals became ill, but we want to make sure we have conducted a thorough investigation so that we can bring some reassurance to residents who are understandably worried,” Adams said.
Call Star reporter Shari Rudavsky at (317) 444-6354. Follow her on Twitter: @srudavsky.