ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR Finds East Omaha Residents Have Modest Increased Rates of Lung, Kidney, Stomach Cancer
Compared with Douglas County, Nebraska

For Immediate Release: July 13, 2005

ATLANTA - The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will release its Cancer Data Review tomorrow at the Omaha Lead Site Community Advisory Group (OLS CAG) meeting. The review found that, in some cases, the rates of new cancer cases in the Omaha Lead Site differ from new cancer rates in Douglas County and Nebraska.

The review sought to determine if the rates of new cancer cases in the Omaha Lead Site (also referred to as East Omaha) were higher or lower than the rates in Douglas County as well as the state. Using information provided by the Nebraska Cancer Registry (1990-2001), ATSDR compared the rate of cancer among people living in the Omaha Lead Site with Douglas County and the entire state of Nebraska. The review compared the cancers that may be associated with lead exposure -- bladder, brain, kidney, lung and stomach. The review found:

• Cancer rates within the site, Douglas County and Nebraska are similar for bladder and brain.
• Compared with Douglas County and the state of Nebraska, cancer rates in the site were slightly higher for lung (1.7 to 1.9 times higher) and stomach (1.4 to 2 times higher) cancer.
• Compared with the state of Nebraska, kidney cancer rate in the site was slightly higher (1.1 to 1.4 times higher).

The findings from this analysis are insufficient to conclude that lead is the cause for cancer in residents of East Omaha. Other factors, including smoking, occupation, diet, length of residency and industrial exposure in Omaha Lead Site residents, could not be controlled or accounted for in the consultation.

The Cancer Data Review is an addendum to the public health assessment released this May, which found that ongoing exposure to lead in children 6 years of age and younger living in or near the Omaha Lead site is a public health hazard.

The OLS CAG meeting will be held on July 13 at the Chicano Awareness Center 4821 S. 24th Street 9:30 a.m. ATSDR representatives will give a brief presentation of the review. This meeting is open to the public.

The report will be available July 13, online at www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/omahalead and at:

W. Dale Clark Library
215 South 15th St.
Omaha, Neb.

Omaha Public Library
2302 M St.
Omaha, Neb.

Washington Branch Library
2868 Ames Ave.
Omaha, Neb.

ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. Established by Congress in 1980 under the Superfund law, ATSDR conducts public health assessments at each of the sites on the EPA National Priorities List, as well as other sites when petitioned.

##

Members of the news media can request an interview with ATSDR staff by calling the NCEH/ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.