Lung cancer cluster in northern British Columbia town

Cancer clusters are frightening – why does a group of people in the same area develop the same type of cancer? Sometimes, the reason may be easily found, other times it can’t be – and that’s what causes the great unease.

A lung cancer cluster has been noticed in the British Columbia, Canada, town of Dawson Creek. It has even struck the town’s mayor, Calvin Kruk, when he died of non-small cell lung cancer only two months ago. He was 43 years old and leaves behind a 12-year-old child.

According to the province’s cancer agency, a town the size of Dawson Creek, with a population of about 11,000 people, the expected average number of lung cancer cases would be about 13 per year. According to town doctors, however, there have been 14 cases like Mr. Kruk’s in the past 3 months.

There is a vigorous debate going on as to what may be the cause. Initial blame is always put on smoking, but there is also the issue of sour, which is natural gas that contains hydrogen sulphide.

If you’d like to read more about the issue, you can go to the CBC.ca article, Spike in lung cancer concerns Dawson Creek doctor.

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Tags: cancer blog, lung cancer, non small cell lung cancer, dawson creek, calvin kruk