No Evidence Of 'Cancer Cluster' In Warminster, Horsham, Warrington: Federal Study

A federal data summary assessing cancer rates in Warminster, Warrington and Horsham has been released following community concerns over contaminated water.

According to the summary, there is no evidence of a "cancer cluster" in the communities surrounding the Former Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster and the Willow Grove Naval Air and Air Reserve Station in Horsham, where water contaminants have been a concern.

Perfluorinated compounds have been found in multiple drinking water wells, and many have been taken offline. Residents have been provided with bottled water.

The study, completed by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, reviewed cancer diagnoses rates in the three communities between 1985 to 2013.

The summary concludes the information reviewed does not currently meet the definition of a cancer cluster.

The CDC defines a cancer cluster as a "greater than expected" number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a geographic area over a defined period of time

According to the data summary:

• Kidney and liver cancers were within expected ranges for all genders, time periods, and zip codes reviewed.
• Statistically significant increases in cancer incidence were found for bladder, myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and testis for different time periods, genders, and zip codes reviewed.
• Statistically significant decreases in cancer incidence were found for bladder, prostate, and testes for males in different time periods and zip codes reviewed.

Additionally, investigators found that residents in the impacted communities had measurable levels of TCE in their urine, but medical questionnaire and death certificate reviews "did not reveal adverse health effects linked to TCE exposures."

Officials say the local data summary is a "first step" in screening information available from the state cancer registry.

"Given these findings and the legacy of environmental contamination in this area, as new data or additional information become available, consideration will be given to updating and/or further study of this information," the summary states.

Click here to read the full summary.