Mapping program gets praise
By John MinerSpecial/Chatham This Week
Wednesday August 24, 2005
A Chatham-Kent cancer mapping project that has drawn public criticism could turn up important information, says the executive director of the
Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers in Sarnia-Lambton.
James Brophy said the project by the family of 12-year-old cancer survivor Myles McLellan is commendable and important.
"I intend to help in any way that I can," said Brophy, who is researching breast cancer rates in nearby Windsor.
The McLellan family launched the project earlier this summer, asking people to log on to a website and enter details of their cancer case.
Susan McLellan, Myles's mother, said if clusters of cancer cases are found, it might point to a cause and possible prevention.
Brophy said he was shocked when he learned from McLellan that there were five cases of brain cancer diagnosed in one Chatham-Kent school in a year.
"That is an unbelievable statistic. It calls for a major investigation," he said.
Some people in the community have suggested cancer mapping should be left to organizations such as Cancer Care Ontario.
Brophy said people in the area have to be concerned because Chatham-Kent has one of the highest cancer rates in Ontario.
-- Sun Media
The link to the Chatham-Kent cancer mapping project
The original article
