Cal State Fullerton Tests 3 Ladera Ranch Parks After 6 Ewing Sarcoma Cases
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 15
Cal State Fullerton Tests 3 Ladera Ranch Parks After 6 Ewing Sarcoma Cases
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Sep 15
Summary
Cal State Fullerton researchers began soil and water sampling Sunday at three Ladera Ranch parks to look for any environmental link to six Ewing sarcoma cases in the Orange County community.
Results could come by the end of this week, though chemistry professor Daniel Curtis said proving causation will be difficult and the cancers may not stem from an environmental source.
Resident pressure helped drive the testing after at least 10 people raised pesticide concerns at a homeowners association meeting, including a mother whose son died of cancer earlier this year.
Ewing sarcoma accounts for about 1% of childhood cancers, with roughly 225 U.S. diagnoses a year, yet areas around Ladera Ranch have recorded 9 to 12 Ewing and synovial sarcoma cases and six deaths.
A 2024 county review found no unusual pattern but cited limited data, and USC researchers have also agreed to conduct a more focused assessment.
With six rare childhood cancers reported, what hidden environmental dangers might lurk in the soil and water of this seemingly idyllic California community?
If science points to random DNA changes, why are multiple agencies now scrambling to test Ladera Ranch's parks for toxic exposures?