Parents in Ladera Ranch, California, are escalating demands for an investigation into potential environmental causes of a cluster of rare childhood cancers, particularly Ewing sarcoma, following the release of new state figures.
The California Cancer Registry reported fewer than 11 cases of Ewing sarcoma in Ladera Ranch during the decade ending in 2021. However, residents argue this data is incomplete, as it does not include several diagnoses reported after 2021. Brody Matteson, 17, who died in March 2026 after a battle with the rare bone and soft tissue cancer, and 23-year-old Lily Dalton, who died in January, are among those whose cases fall outside this reporting period.
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley has expressed concern, stating that the number of cases needs to be assessed for public health alarm. "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," Foley said, noting her inability to obtain a map pinpointing the 35 reported cases in Orange County as of 2021.
Many families in the master-planned community suspect a link between the cancer diagnoses and years of pesticide and herbicide application in the area. "Why are so many young children and adults developing incredibly rare cancers in the same community?" Brian Dalton, Lily Dalton's father, has publicly questioned. Authorities, however, have not yet established a link between these chemicals and the reported cancer cases.
Ewing sarcoma is a rare cancer, affecting an estimated 200 to 240 children and teenagers nationwide annually, according to the American Cancer Society. The community's concerns have also extended to other rare cancers, such as synovial sarcoma, diagnosed in 18-year-old Haven Keetch, who lost a leg.
The growing alarm has prompted federal attention. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has requested the Environmental Protection Agency investigate potential environmental factors contributing to what residents perceive as a cancer cluster and whether federal environmental laws have been violated. "My office has been made aware of recent reports of multiple pediatric Ewing sarcoma cases within the Ladera Ranch community. Residents are raising concerns about a potential cancer cluster and whether environmental factors may warrant further evaluation," Essayli stated in a letter.
Concurrently, the law firm Bond Legal has initiated its own investigation, gathering information from families whose children were diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma or other rare childhood cancers and lived in or frequented Ladera Ranch. The firm plans to examine potential environmental exposures, including historical pesticide and herbicide use, soil and groundwater conditions, and former agricultural land use.