"Tungsten Remains at Center of Cancer Cluster Probe"

"The metal tungsten remains an important clue in research related to the Fallon leukemia cluster, which sickened 17 children and killed three of them between 1997 and 2004, scientists said Thursday.

Presenters at the University of Nevada, Reno symposium described their research into cancer genetics, water contamination, electro-magnetic fields, mouse studies, and contaminants found in tree rings and on tree leaves. They are looking for possible environmental underpinnings of the cancer outbreak, whose odds of being random have been estimated at 1 in 232 million.

Researchers from the UNR; the University of Arizona and the University of California San Francisco presented final reports on three years work relating to the cluster. The research was funded by about $700,000 in federal grants obtained by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., on behalf of the Fallon families affected by the outbreak.

The theory is that something in Fallon’s environment makes the area unique. For eight years, the metal tungsten, which is found in greater concentrations in the area’s water, air and people than in other parts of Nevada, has been an element of interest."

Frank X. Mullen Jr. reports for the Reno Gazette-Journal March 25, 2010.