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State Department of Health finds no cancer cluster around Canon-McMillan School District

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State Department of Health finds no cancer cluster around Canon-McMillan School District
The Pennsylvania Department of Health says there is not a cancer cluster in Washington County and the Canon McMillan School District.Multiple cases of Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, appeared around the school district in recent years. There have been at least six cases since 2008. There are about 200 cases diagnosed across the country each year.The Department of Health says the data it has after analyzing three time periods shows the rate of Ewing sarcoma and similar cancers is not significantly higher in the area than the rest of the state."Overall, there were no conclusive findings indicating that the incidence rates of Ewing’s family of tumors in Washington County and Canon-McMillan School District for female and male populations were consistently and statistically significantly higher than the rest of the state over the time periods reviewed. However, DOH takes seriously the concerns about EFOT and pediatric cancers raised by this community and other communities in the commonwealth. DOH will continue to closely monitor EFOT and pediatric cancer incidence in Pennsylvania over the next several years as new data becomes available in the PCR," a statement from the Department of Health read. At a meeting on Oct. 7 at the high school in Canonsburg, people were still asking questions about if environmental concerns caused the cancer.Some of them didn't get their questions answered or get to speak at the meeting.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health says there is not a cancer cluster in Washington County and the Canon McMillan School District.

Multiple cases of Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, appeared around the school district in recent years. There have been at least six cases since 2008.

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There are about 200 cases diagnosed across the country each year.

The Department of Health says the data it has after analyzing three time periods shows the rate of Ewing sarcoma and similar cancers is not significantly higher in the area than the rest of the state.

"Overall, there were no conclusive findings indicating that the incidence rates of Ewing’s family of tumors in Washington County and Canon-McMillan School District for female and male populations were consistently and statistically significantly higher than the rest of the state over the time periods reviewed. However, DOH takes seriously the concerns about EFOT and pediatric cancers raised by this community and other communities in the commonwealth. DOH will continue to closely monitor EFOT and pediatric cancer incidence in Pennsylvania over the next several years as new data becomes available in the PCR," a statement from the Department of Health read.

At a meeting on Oct. 7 at the high school in Canonsburg, people were still asking questions about if environmental concerns caused the cancer.

Some of them didn't get their questions answered or get to speak at the meeting.