State: Castine cancer rate lower than expected

CASTINE – An initial state assessment shows that cancer levels in Castine are slightly below expected levels for the population based on state cancer rates.

That information, however, did not ease concerns of some residents who had tracked what they viewed as high rates of cancer in town.

Castine Verrill, a state epidemiologist with the Maine Cancer Registry, noted that the registry still needs to look at site specific data, including an assessment of specific types of cancers and age-specific data in order to fully assess the cancer rates in town.

But when the state cancer rate for the 10-year period between 1995 and 2004 is applied to the town’s population, the expected number of cancer cases in town would be 68.3 cases. When Verrill surveyed the data in the registry for the same period, she found 66 cases in Castine.

“That tells us initially that there is not an elevated rate of cancer in Castine,” Verrill told a group of about 180 people Monday in Castine.

In response to questions, Verrill said the presence of the students at Maine Maritime Academy might skew the numbers slightly but would not make a significant statistical difference in the rates. She said she had discussed that issue with the town’s biostatistical study committee and will look at ways to remove those students from the data.

It is more difficult, however, to filter out the many residents of Castine who have moved to the town having lived much of their lives in other places. Since cancers often take between 10 and 30 years to develop, it is much more difficult to trace the cancer back to exposures that might have caused them.

Karen Siegel, a member of a citizen’s committee that had raised concerns about cancer levels in town, questioned the state’s data, noting that the group had identified 55 cases of cancer in town in just the past five years.

“Is it possible that there is information that is not in your database?” she asked.

Verrill said some of those identified in the group’s survey may not be Maine residents and that their cancers may not have been diagnosed or treated in Maine, and so, would not appear in the state registry. Also, there are different stages of diagnosis, she said, and that some cancers may not have been reported.

Verrill agreed to compare data with the group, but said the state is confident that it has a complete data base.

A state team is scheduled to review the data from Castine next week, but it likely will be mid-September before it can report any results.

Meanwhile, an official from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told residents the ongoing study at the Callahan mine Superfund site in Brooksville indicates that contamination from the mining operations is concentrated in and around the mine site, in Goose Pond and Goose Cove.

The citizens’ group had identified the mine as a potential source of contaminants that could contribute to higher cancer rates in town.

Edward Hathaway, the EPA’s remedial project manager for the mine site, reviewed the investigation that has been under way since 2004. Although he noted that the investigation is ongoing, he said indications are that the contamination has not migrated to Castine from the site.

“We don’t find sufficient data to indicate that it was transported in that direction,” Hathaway said.

Further investigation could be done around Ram, Nautilus and Holbrook islands, popular recreation sites where residents have raised concerns, but Hathaway said, there would have to be some scientific reason to suspect that materials may have skipped over an area and been deposited there.

The EPA will provide the town with information from its investigation of the site and will report back to the town once the current phase of the investigation is completed.