VDH: Initial Scott County cancer report due in December

RICHMOND — The Virginia Department of Health could have a preliminary report on Scott County childhood cancer incidents before the end of December, a department official said Thursday. Dr. Dane De Silva, director of VDH's Division of Population Health Data, said the study draws from a survey begun in April by the LENOWISCO Health District to gather information on child cancer cases between 2014 and 2023. "When we receive cases for a potential cancer cluster investigation, we are matching those cases and verifying the diagnoses and cancer types to be investigated against our cancer registry files," De Silva said of the date range for the study. While concerns over inclusion of more recent cancer case reports have been raised among some county residents in recent weeks, De Silva said VDH is also monitoring cases since 2023 as they are reported to the data for the state's Cancer Registry. "We need full-year data to be able to be able to reliably calculate the rates and, in this case, the most recent full-year data available in the registry is 2023," said De Silva. "We know families in the community have been deeply affected by childhood cancer, and we can only imagine how hard this has been," said DeSilva. "We want you know that your voices and experiences and questions do matter. We are committed to transparency, accuracy and compassion as this work continues. Our goal is to ensure that this investigate is thorough, complete and reliable, and we'll continue to share updates as we learn more." The report will include information on the methodology and criteria for identifying any cancer cluster, De Silva said. "When we get a request, they are referred to as a potential or a suspect cancer cluster," said De Silva. "When VDH evaluates the cases received through a request, we are evaluating them against criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control's guidelines for examining unusual patterns of cancer and environmental concerns." Those criteria are:- &emsp;&emsp;Is what we are seeing a greater than expected number?- &emsp;&emsp;Are the cancer types the same or can they be linked by a common exposure or risk factor?- &emsp;&emsp;Are they within a group of people?- &emsp;&emsp;Is it within a geographic area?- &emsp;&emsp;Is it over a period of time? The CDC criteria have been in use for several years, De Silva said, and the last major update was in 2022, before the current Department of Health and Human Services administration. If findings indicate a strong possibility of a cancer cluster, De Silva said, investigation of potential factors then could involve the CDC and other agencies. "We do recognize and understand that there are a variety of environmental concerns that the community has brought forth. We will be including a summary of those concerns in our report along with the background and resources in our initial report." Community concerns raised during the Scott County study process have included radon, drinking water and industrial sites, De Silva said. "Cancer clusters are, to date, are extremely rare and only a few have been proven to be the case in the nation, De Silva added. According to a post on the Gate City High School athletics Facebook page, NBA star Mac McClung is cooperating with Daniel Boone Baptist Church on a fundraiser for families of Scott County children affected by cancer. "We're going to start a donation fund to try and help these families, " McClung said in a video clip posted on Facebook. "If you guys could donate, it would mean a ton." The fund drive is on Subsplash, a company that develops apps and other technology products to help faith-based organizations. Online: -Virginia Cancer Registry: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/virginia-cancer-registry/cancer-clusters/-McClung-Daniel Boone Baptist Church fundraiser: https://subsplash.com/u/-46HHPW/give?frequency=once&next_process_date=12/04/2025&fund_id=55faef37-f781-4a8d-8ebc-2ed03eb86268