Health Officials Find No Evidence Of ‘Cancer Cluster’ Around Batchelder Site

By John Voket

Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert this week received and released a recent examination of data by the Connecticut Tumor Registry that indicates the community does not have significantly different rates of lung, brain, and breast cancers relative to the rest of the state.

Ms Culbert told The Bee October 2 that an unidentified resident who lives adjacent to the abandoned Batchelder industrial site in Botsford previously met with her and First Selectman Pat Llodra, in late August, to share concerns that there was a high rate of cancer occurring in the area.

The resident spoke, without naming names, of many families she knew who have been profoundly impacted by cancer, and particularly in her neighborhood, the health official said. The resident related interest in learning about any potential environmental exposures from contamination that could cause cancer, and she expressed great interest in gathering more information about cancer incidence.

Ms Culbert suggested that the state Department of Public Health’s Epidemiology unit be contacted, “as they are the experts in the study of incidence of disease in the populations, and also the Tumor Registry, as they have the data of concern.” Ms Culbert contacted the state Department of Public Health and helped connect the concerned resident with the registry (CTR).

Registry representatives conducted a survey or examination of cancer incidence, or new cancer diagnoses, in the area of concern. In response to the inquiry about lung, brain, and breast cancers in Newtown, the registry examined data for years 2006 through 2010 (the most recent data available), comparing rates in Newtown and the geographical area of concern around the abandoned industrial site to state rates.

“Rates were not significantly different for Newtown or Tract 2305.00 relative to the state for the sites of interest — lung, brain, and breast cancers,” Ms Culbert stated. “The CTR concludes that the Standardized Incident Rates calculated for Census Tract 2305 and for the Town of Newtown indicate that the incidence rates of female breast cancer, brain cancers, and lung cancer are not significantly different from the state rates.”

The study was able to reduce the area of its survey to the smallest geographical concentration based on a minimum number of residents required to render the data as legitimate.

According to the data generated by the registry, Newtown logged 85 cases of lung cancer, 108 cases of female breast cancer, two cases of male glioblastoma and 11 cases of brain/central nervous center (CNS) cancers between 2006 and 2010. While the incidents in the specific census tract in question were: 25 cases of lung cancer, 34 cases of female breast cancer, one case of male glioblastoma, and five cases of brain/CNS cancers.

Ms Culbert previously told The Bee that the types of hazardous chemicals on the site bind chemically to the soil, and are not known to migrate any distances through the soil and into groundwater or wells. The town, however, recently circulated a notice to homes in the area of the Batchelder site. The notice sought to remind residents and parents about playing in, or operating dirt bikes or ATVs on or around the private posted property because of the hazards of direct exposure to contaminants in the soil.

Ms Culbert also took the opportunity to promote the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle to reduce the likelihood of developing cancer. Among the points she referenced were practicing good nutrition, maintaining a regiment of physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, using sunscreen, not smoking, as well as getting screenings and physicals on a regular basis.

“These actions may help reduce the risk factors that increase the chance of developing cancer,” she said, “however, it is important to understand that many people who develop cancers have none of the associated risk factors, and conversely, many people who have known risk factors do not develop the disease.”

She said residents could review important information about cancer and prevention at cancer.org, as well as localized information about cancer clusters by visiting www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/ctr/docs/cancer_cluster_tech_brief_final.pdf

In 2004, the town enlisted a nonprofit corporation to work toward a cleanup of the industrially contaminated Batchelder property on Swamp Road, with the eventual goal of finding a new industrial use for the site.