Understanding the Cancer Concerns in Ladera Ranch
Resident Contributor: This article was written by a Ladera Ranch resident who is actively participating in the community's ongoing research and outreach efforts. Updates are based on information available at the time of publication and will be revised as new information becomes available. A group of Ladera Ranch residents is currently trying to better understand whether there may be elevated rates of certain cancers in Ladera Ranch, including pediatric Ewing sarcoma.
To date, residents have identified six children from Ladera Ranch who have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma since 2013, including four diagnoses since 2021. Ewing sarcoma is an extremely rare cancer, with only about 200 children and teens diagnosed in the United States each year. In a community with approximately 8,000–9,000 children, this is understandably concerning.
We are not saying there is a confirmed cancer cluster, and we do not know the cause. But given the rarity of this cancer and the number of cases residents have identified, we believe further investigation is warranted.
Separately, residents have also shared concerns about other cancers, including breast cancer. City of Hope has reported that Orange County has the highest overall cancer incidence rate among people under 50 compared with Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, and San Bernardino counties, with breast, colon, and lung cancer among the most pronounced.
What is happening now
Residents have been in contact with the California Cancer Registry, which is conducting an analysis to determine whether cancer incidence in our area is higher than expected. Other agencies and elected officials have also been briefed.
Depending on what the California Cancer Registry’s analysis shows, additional follow-up may be needed. But that process could take time. In the meantime, residents are trying to gather records and information about possible environmental exposures in the community, including:
water quality;
nearby environmental sites;
soil and development history;
pesticide, herbicide, rodenticide, fumigant, and plant-growth-regulator use in common areas.
Some studies have reported possible associations between Ewing sarcoma and pesticide or farm-related exposures, although the science is limited and not conclusive. We have also been told by physicians and researchers that childhood cancer causation research is significantly underfunded, which is one reason there may not be studies that are perfectly on point.
We will updates as residents receive records, agency responses, or California Cancer Registry information.