How common are cancer clusters?
While frustrating, the investigation’s results are not unusual in the world of cancer clusters. In some cases, groups of cancer occurrences are natural because the disease is so common—perhaps more common than many realize. In the United States, nearly one in three people will develop cancer during his or her lifetime.
How do you investigate cancer clusters?
Contact your local or state health department or state cancer registry. These agencies respond to cancer cluster questions and have the most current local data. You can also search by state for information about public health assessments conducted by ATSDR.
Where are cancer clusters in the US?
A study shows cancer deaths in counties across the nation, revealing clusters that have lagged behind national cancer efforts. Deaths from all cancers in 2014 were highest along the Mississippi River, near the Kentucky-West Virginia border, western Alaska and the South in general.
What should you do if you suspect a cancer cluster?
If you suspect a cancer cluster in your community or workplace, or if you’d like information such as cancer statistics or trends in your area, first contact your local or state health department or state cancer registry. A local or state health department provides the first response to a suspected cancer cluster.
Which are cancers that cluster strongly in families?
For example, breast cancer and ovarian cancer run together in families with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC). Colon and endometrial cancers tend to go together in Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, or HNPCC).
Can tumors grow in clusters?
“Not only does cancer metastasize as clusters, clusters are more powerful than single cancer cells,” she said. “They travel through the body in a clump and resist hostile signals from the immune systems or the organs where they’re setting up.
What county in Texas has the highest cancer rate?
Sabine County has the highest rate of cancer of any county in Texas, according to data compiled by the Texas Cancer Registry. According to the state entity, Sabine County’s crude rate of cancer is 859.9 per 100,000.
Why is it difficult to label a cancer cluster?
Identifying a cancer cluster needs to account for how a group of people, such as Washington and Westmoreland residents, compare with other groups experiencing different incidence rates. This is challenging, and it’s made more difficult by the long period many cancers take to develop.
What are familial cancers?
(fuh-MIH-lee-ul KAN-ser) Cancer that occurs in families more often than would be expected by chance. These cancers often occur at an early age, and may indicate the presence of a gene mutation that increases the risk of cancer.
What is a cluster tumor?
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) define a cancer cluster as a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a defined geographic area over a specific period of time. Each part of this definition is important.
What city has the most cancer?
Most Cancer-Prone City #1: Corpus Christi, TX.