Pancreatic Cancer Rates Up In 3 Towns Around Military Base: Study

The number of new cases of pancreatic cancer has increased in the area surrounding military bases in Bucks and Montgomery counties, according to a newly-released Department of Health report. The update studying pancreatic cancer rates was published last month and analyzed ZIP codes in Warminster, Warrington and Horsham, where community concerns about cancer rates are prevalent following PFOS and PFOA contamination in area drinking water wells.

As a result of the new study, "further analysis of the pancreatic cancer rates for this community is recommended," the report summary says.

Perfluorinated compounds have been found in water from public and private drinking water wells near the Former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Willow Grove and former Naval Air Warfare Center. It is believed the chemical, found in a variety of consumer products, was used in firefighting foams at the base.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health completed this most recent study in response to community questions about pancreatic and pediatric cancer rates in the area after an initial study of other types of cancer rates was released in 2016.

While pediatric cancer rates did not show any statistically significant change, there was enough of an increase in pancreatic cancer rates to prompt state health officials to recommend the issue be examined further.

In its analysis, the Department of Health said it calculated incidence rates of pancreatic and pediatric cancers using information reported to the Pennsylvania state cancer registry and compared this information at the ZIP code level to statewide rates.

Between the years 1985-1994, males and females in the three communities studied had pancreatic cancer rates below the state average. However, between 2005-2013, pancreatic cancer rates were higher than the state average for both men and woman in the three communities.

For males, the pancreatic cancer incidence rate between 2005-2013 was approximately 1.6 times higher than the statewide rate in the three communities combined. For females during the same time period, pancreatic incidence rate was approximately 2.3 times the statewide rate in the three communities combined.

In its summary, the Department of Heath warns that available information is "very limited" and "studies are often inconclusive."

"Further analysis of the pancreatic cancer rates for this area is recommended. More refined geospatial analyses will help us better understand the pancreatic cancer rates in this area. It is important to keep in mind the limited information supporting links between chemical exposures and pancreatic cancer and the history of chemical contamination in drinking water in this area," the summary says.

You can read the full study summary here.

Patch file photo