Nov 6, 2007 10:52 pm US/Eastern
Lawmakers Alarmed By Cape Cancer Cases
by Joe Shortsleeve
SANDWICH (WBZ) ―
Ewing's sarcoma.
It's a medical term 7-year-old Jordan Leandre of Cape Cod learned when he was only 2.
It's another name for bone cancer. Jordan is lucky: He's now recovering.
New Englanders were thrilled when the little boy from Dennis ran the bases at Fenway Park in August.
But Jordan is part of a troubling and startling statistic on Cape Cod. Since 2002, six children from Falmouth to Brewster have been diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma.
The state says that is an elevated rate. Parents on the Cape believe it could be seven times above the national average.
Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy is alarmed by the numbers as well.
"Across the country, the rate of Ewing's sarcoma is one in 300,000," Kennedy said. "Down there it's 6 in 50,000, so that's very very powerful."
State health officials are concerned. They have hired cancer specialists and consultants to search for answers. They want to know: I there something dangerous in the air?
Specifically, WBZ-TV has learned state health investigators are taking a very close look at a military radar system on Cape Cod known as PAVE PAWS.
The Air Force defense system is located a short distance from the Sagamore Bridge. Its signal sweeps the entire coast, keeping Americans safe from attack.
"The Air Force and the military didn't cooperate on the early studies but they are doing better now," Kennedy said.
Congressman William Delahunt, who reporesents the Cape, is already thinking about what can be done if the state report links PAVE PAWS to these cases of cancer.
"If there is a relationship, then I know that I will sit down with senators Kennedy and Kerry and demand action by the Air Force to prevent this from happening," Delahunt said.
While the state searches for answers, the Sandwich community is still dealing with the loss of 18-year-old Jeff Hayes. He died of Ewing's sarcoma 10 months ago.
Hayes went to school with Amanda Condon, who was diagnosed with Ewing's when she was 11.
"We need to stop this problem before its gets worse," Condon said. "Do more studies, do more research, test the environment, test the radar, find out the problem so we can get rid of it."
Wise words from someone only 16 years old.
The Air Force gave us a written statement, pointing out that in 2005, a federal study found PAVE PAWS was probably not to blame for elevated cancer rates on Cape Cod. However, that study did not address Ewing's sarcoma.
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