Orange County parents demand answers on child cancer cases after California releases new information
New statistics on child cancer cases in Orange County from California officials have sparked more questions from Ladera Ranch residents.
"Everyone wants to know if there's really something behind it or if it's just a random statistical anomaly," Ladera Ranch resident Robert Messer said.
Residents are anxious for answers from the California Department of Public Health after families said several children have been diagnosed with the rare Ewing sarcoma cancer.
"It seems like it's an unreal number of kids sick," resident Karen Smith said. "We want to know what is the true cause. There's a lot of information out there that might not be true."
The California Cancer Registry confirmed that there are fewer than 11 cases in Ladera Ranch but didn't specify when the children were diagnosed or how the numbers compare to Ewing sarcoma cases in similar communities. The latest numbers county officials have date back to 2021 and cover a ten-year period.
"There are 35 cases in Orange County as of 2021," Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said. "I have asked multiple times, can we get a map that shows that pinpoints where these 35 cases are in Orange County? So far, no one has been able to get me that information. So, we don't even know how many cases truly are in Ladera."
The numbers from 2012 to 2021 were similar statewide and in Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties, with fewer than one case per 100,000 kids.
"Has that number grown?" Foley asked. "If it has grown, has it grown to a significant incident that it would be a cause for alarm. We need answers so that we can plan. So that we can protect the public health."
