Cancer Cluster Ruled Out In Southwest Virginia, Though More Data Collection Is On The Horizon

Since last summer, the Virginia Department of Health has been investigating a potential pediatric cancer cluster in Southwest Virginia. On Wednesday, the agency announced it determined that the cancer rates don’t meet federal standards to be officially defined as a cancer cluster.

Cancer clusters are defined as a greater than expected number of the same or related cancer cases that occur within a group of people in the same area over a specific time. Cancer clusters are rare, but could be indicative of environmental exposures or genetic predispositions; they sometimes randomly occur. VDH’s analysis of cases between 2014 and 2023 in the Scott County area of Virginia does not meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition for a cluster.

Though an official cluster has not been determined, the regional health district director emphasized that health officials are still keeping their eyes on matters — especially since some data for 2024 and 2025 are not yet finalized.

“The results of the current investigation are being shared, but our work will not stop here,” said LENOWISCO Health District Director Reisa Sloce. “We will continue to provide the Virginia Cancer Registry with any additional pediatric cancer information we receive to ensure the most recent cases are reviewed as that data becomes more complete.”

Data takes time to be finalized as it must be verified, analyzed, and exchanged with other state registries. A two-year lag in health data is common across other states, so VDH plans to review the most recent data once the formal procedures make it fully available.

As to what VDH has learned so far, it received 24 survey responses from residents of Scott, Lee, and Wise counties. Half of the reports stemmed from Scott, so much of the investigation focused in that area. A total of eight cases of pediatric cancers from survey responses met the criteria for the analysis.

Staff reviewed each patient’s medical reports to confirm the type of cancer, where the cancer originated within the patient’s body, and when it was diagnosed. The reviews included doctors’ notes and test results. Environmental factors were also examined, such as radon levels, drinking water quality, and industrial site concerns, but no link to environmental factors was identified in VDH’s analysis.

The Virginia Mercury also conducted its own survey, but only received one response. That person did not have pediatric cancer, but was an adult who had cancer in 2015 and said it had returned last year. The person was from Scott County.

With a cancer cluster ruled out for now, fresh data will be on the horizon.

In the meantime, Sloce reiterated how state health workers “strive to connect you with available resources and address health-related concerns.”

by Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury

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