Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

why so many people in certain areas of long island have cancer? For example: JT's mother has had throat cancer, lung cancer and various tumors, and someone in EVERY SINGLE HOUSE ON HER BLOCK has or had cancer. Then, about four blocks away, I know of at least three houses in which people have cancer. It just scares me that there's these clusters of cancer. And everyone says it's coincidence, but I find that hard to believe. BTW, JT's parents live in St. James, and there's quite a few other people I've known from growing up in the area whose parents hve had cancer.


ETA: I wanted to add, that we KNOW JT's mother had cancer from smoking, but the others on her block did not have the same type of cancers.

Message edited 8/1/2005 2:34:13 PM.

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

i dunno.....
i am always hearing stay away from this...don't eat that...it can cause cancer.

Me...i think that people are genetically prone somehow to cancer. That they are more susceptible to it than others...Do i think it is in the water or because of what you eat...no not really

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

I think that there has to be something to cause such a high rate in such a small area. My mom has survived multiple cancers( 3, to be exact), and it just does not make sense as no one else in her family (on either side) has ever had cancer.

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

I was just talking to my mom about this the other day. Back in the 50's when my mom was growing up, she said it was rare that someone had it. I don't know if it was just not made more public or what, but nowadays it seems like every other person I know has cancer or had it. I just don't get it!!

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

I do know they say that LI has a high rate of breast cancer because there are a LOT of jews who live on the island, and ashkenazi jews have a high incidence of breast cancer to begin with, but I'm skeptical. My mother developed breast cancer at 55 and there's absolutely NO history of it in our family, and then both my pets, my cat and dog, died young due to cancer

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

I really think it has to do with the chemicals they used for farmiing and such 50+ years ago...look at all the stuff they used that they didn't know what the effects would be...lead paint, asbestos, pesticides...not to mention there's always good old BNL dumping stuff here and there, Three Mile Island, Plum Island...that stuff's gotta do some damage..

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

I thought that the "cancer cluster" everyone speaks about in Long Island is mainly Breast Cancer?

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

I know there are "clusters" of various diseases all over. There is an area in Staten island where there is an uncommonly high rate of children of similar ages with autism.

There is an area in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where the children of a high number of firemen from one particulat fire house were all born with a degree of mental retardation., to the extent that they closed the Fire House.

50 years ago there were no long term studies done on most of the products they used.
I think any cluster of diseases is caused by something, we just may not know what.

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

ITS NOT a coincedence in my opinion

Perfect example:
My aunt and her 1st husband bought a house in Hauppauge across from the old dump that is still there but no longer active.

My AUnts 1st husband contracted and died from Hodgkims disease....
My Aunt now has MS
My Aunt married my Uncle who developed Hodkins when he lived there and died from 2nd cancer( NON hodkins lympohma)
My Mom and I both lived there for 2 years...My mom had cervical cancer and I as well.

If you ask me, or in my opinion...5 people getting cancer/MS who all lived in the SAME house across from a dump is fishy.

They actually have contacted my aunt about it and were doing a study.

turns out out of 27 houses on that block, 16 people developed cancer while living there.

It was WELL WATER by the way.

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

I don't think it is a coincidence, and it is very frightening

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

Re: Do you think it's a coincidence or is there a reason....

It is scary! There are 5 women with breast cancer on the block I grew up on! I don't live there anymore but I get nervous that it is too late.