A federal prosecutor has called for an investigation into a cluster of rare cancer diagnoses in the Ladera Ranch community of Orange County, California. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli sent a letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting an assessment of potential environmental factors contributing to the cases.
At least six children in the community have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, an extremely rare bone and soft-tissue cancer. The prosecutor's office stated that residents have raised concerns about a potential cancer cluster and whether environmental factors warrant further evaluation. The letter notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute recognize that unusual cancer patterns and community concerns about potential environmental exposures should be systematically evaluated.
Essayli specifically requested that the EPA conduct an investigation to determine if environmental factors are causing the cancer cluster and if any federal environmental laws have been implicated. One notable case mentioned is that of 17-year-old Brody Matteson, who died from complications during his cancer treatment.