Sludge Watch ==> Town Sees Cluster Of Brain Tumor Cases

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

The question needs to be asked:

Are toxins from sewage sludge getting into the drinking water supply?


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http://www.kmbc.com/health/16330197/detail.html

CAMERON, Mo. -- More than a dozen brain tumors have been diagnosed in seven 
months ago in the town of Cameron, KMBC's Kelly Eckerman reported.

It did not take long for word to spread in the town of 6,500.

Steve Helms was diagnosed just weeks ago, and suddenly friends were telling 
him they had a brain tumor, too.

"What is your greatest concern right now?" Eckerman asked Helms.

"Dying. That's my greatest concern, and how many other people are walking 
around and have it and don't even know it," Helms said.

Helms said he had headaches and could not sleep. A CAT scan revealed two 
brain tumors. One, which was a large as a half dollar, was removed 
immediately. The other tumor lies too close to the brain stem to be removed.

Until they get some answers, Helms said he and his family no longer drink 
city water.

"In this town, and there are a dozen in six months, something doesn't add 
up," Helms said.

Symptoms have varied. Headaches were common. For others it was sinus or 
hearing problems.

Austin, 8, had headaches, too. One morning he fell and started vomiting.

At the hospital, Austin's mother was not prepared for what doctors were 
about to tell her.

"She said she was sorry to have to tell me, but he had a mass that they 
didn't know what it was," Jessica Hammer said. "They weren't able to remove 
the tumor. They did what they call a limited surgery, which was just 
draining the tumor. I wonder all the time if there was something I could 
have done."

Austin is now being treated at St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis.

One of the first to become alarmed was pharmacist Steve Erickson. Erickson 
said he knows most of the families in town and immediately realized 
something was very wrong.

"You take the first victim, you take the second victim and you look at each 
other and you say, 'Whoa! What do we have in common?'" said Erickson. "Then 
you add the third one and the fourth one. I'm sure if I was one of the 
diagnosed, I would not think it was coincidence. Thank God."

Eckerman reported that residents don't want to give their town a bad name, 
and some made it clear they do not want this story told. But most are beyond 
keeping it a secret. Some residents want someone to take a hard look at what 
is happening and make it stop.

"Just find out where it's coming from and get it fixed. It's hard telling 
how many people are walking around, have tumors in their head and don't even 
know it. They will know eventually," Helms said.

"If you have 12 broken legs on a 1-mile stretch, you might think there's 
something wrong with the road on your 1-mile stretch," Erickson said.

Doctors are only required to report cancerous brain tumors to the Health 
Department. Most of the tumors in Cameron are large, but benign. So there is 
no official agency collecting the data.

Drinking water is one thing all of those diagnosed have in common. That is 
why a local reservoir, a source of the drinking water, will likely be one 
focus of the investigation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it will look at any 
possible runoff near the reservoir and any possibility of contamination from 
a nearby hog farm. The CDC asked about manufacturing in the area past and 
present. Insulation used to be produced at a plant on the outskirts of town. 
Investigators will also look at pesticide use and the combination of 
chemicals that might be present, and anything those diagnosed with brain 
tumors have in common.

Cameron's city manager said the city is not jumping to any conclusions, 
saying maybe it is just an anomaly or an unexplained cluster. But he said 
the city is fully aware of what he called the recent "flurry" of brain-tumor 
cases. He said the city clerk is one of those diagnosed.

In the last few days, the Department of Natural Resources had a crew out 
collecting air, water and soil samples.

Eckerman said that she has been in contact with the majority of people who 
have come forward with a brain tumor in Cameron or their loved ones. Some 
are still recovering from brain surgery. Some have had setbacks. Two 
residents who wanted to tell their stories on camera are back in the 
hospital and were not able to talk.