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More than 250 residents of three Long Island communities packed a hotel conference room to find out why an analysis of the public health department targeted their region among four others in New York as having cancer rates higher than expected. We are at the beginning of a trip here, "said Brad Hutton, deputy commissioner of the Office of Public Health, on preliminary findings, which show high rates of leukemia, lung cancer, bladder and thyroid. The statistics were presented Tuesday night to a standing crowd at the Hilton Garden Inn adjacent to the Stony Brook University campus.
Digitally, there have been 311 cases of lung cancer in the hamlets of Centereach, Farmingville and Selden, a total of which was 56 percent higher than the state rate for this disease.
The area of three communities also had 112 cases of bladder cancer, which was 50 percent higher than the state rate; 98 cases of thyroid cancer, 43% higher and 87 cases of leukemia, which occurred at a rate of 64% higher.
The data come from map and statistical studies from the New York State Cancer Registry, a database. 75-year-old demographic, diagnostic and cancer prevalence. The cancers were diagnosed between 2011 and 2015, said Hutton.
Some forms of leukemia that occur in adulthood as well as bladder and lung cancers all have strong associations with smoking. The high rates of thyroid cancer may be due to improved screening, which highlights smaller, no-effect tumors that may have been missed in medical care in the past, Hutton said.
These factors aside, the state will spare no effort "There is a persistent trend over time for the four cancers we are examining," Hutton said, noting that specific rates did not happen by chance. . The next stage of the investigation, which was mandated last fall by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, will investigate the potential reasons behind high rates
Interested residents asked a series of questions: Were electromagnetic fields at issue? Is there a problem with air quality in the three communities and can high cancer rates be attributed to a toxic plume that is hidden under their homes?
Aaron Clow, resident of Farmingville, told Newsday "I have been concerned about water quality in Farmingville," Clow said. "The water quality report in my distribution area shows that pollutant levels are acceptable."
But Mr. Clow asked if the levels deemed acceptable for several industrial chemicals are currently too high. In addition to pollutants, there is evidence that tap water has traces of prescription and over-the-counter medications, including phenobarbital and ibuprofen.
Tony Leung, a Centereach resident for 24 years, says he and his wife Monica "
" I'm very interested in knowing what's going on because it's a bit scary, "Leung said. "I am worried about myself, my wife and my children." The three children of Leung are between 17 and 21 years old.
The public meeting followed an earlier meeting at Stony Brook University, where Hutton and his team from the Department of Public Health met with cancer experts and a group of public health experts. Department of Health Suffolk County. During this part of the meeting, health experts explained that cancer is more than 100 diseases, all with a myriad of causes that can not be easily traced. By the time most cancers are discovered, they have evolved for five to 40 years, he said.
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