Cancer Clusters Across the U.S. Need Investigation

Across the US cancer statistics are alarming.  According to the CDC and National Center for Disease Control, 46 children per day (two classrooms a day) are being diagnosed with cancers unrelated to genetics or family history. In contrast, recent studies by British scientist show that the ancient Egytians, whose society had few or none of the toxic chemicals associated with modern day socities, experienced few or no tumors.
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has filed a new bill "Strengthening Protection For Children and Communities From Disease Clusters Act," or "Trevor's Law," that calls for an improved, streamlined process to investigate and address disease clusters across the U.S. by:

1. Strengthening federal agency coordination and accountability when investigating and helping to address potential disease clusters;
2. Increasing resources to communities who may be impacted by potential disease clusters, including by providing for community-based committees that play an integral role in actions to investigate and help address such clusters; and
3. Enhancing federal, state and academic capacity to investigate and help address such clusters, including through partnerships and grants and by developing new pollution and disease tracking tools to facilitate investigation and actions to address clusters.

Sen. Boxer's legislation was named for Trevor Schaefer, a young cancer survivor and advocate who was diagnosed with brain cancer seven years ago at the age of thirteen. There were other children and young adults with brain cancer in his small town in Idaho at the time of his diagnosis.  Trevor and his mother became aware that environmental contamination might have played a part in these illnesses.  Yet authorities did not seem to care.  Trevor's mission is to be a champion for the protection of children and small communities from environmental contamination, and he wants to help them from slipping through the cracks of environmental regulation.  Similar to laws in Europe, the bill hopes to hold companies accountable for proper disposal of toxins and to make sure that other children will not have to experience what Trevor did. 

Nearly every state has reported cancer clusters, and some of the more notable include: Moreland, ID; Fallon, NV; The Acreage, FL; Sierra Vista, AZ; Carlsbad, CA; Santa Susana, CA; Kettleman City, CA; and Victor, NY.  According to the National Disease Cluster Alliance (NDCA), state epidemiologists are charged with investigating an average of 1,000 suspected cancer clusters every year.

Senator Boxer's bill would set up an objective, transparent process for conducting investigations and provide for the prominent involvement of concerned community members