I want to thank all who have posted information on peculiar patterns of
Ewing's in their communities. I hope to reply to each issue raised in
these messages in a series of short messages in the coming days. I have
been delayed in responding by some significant developments.

In my message #495 to this group, I posted the contents of a letter to
Gov. Deval Patrick describing my proposal for a comprehensive,
multidisciplinary study of the Cape Cod Ewing's Sarcoma Cluster. The
governor's Executive Office of Health and Human Services tried to blow
me off, having a nice young lady call to tell me of a DPH study of which
I was all too well aware. This person had been on the job two weeks,
and hadn't even seen my original letter to the governor. She offered to
receive a copy of that letter from me, as well as criticism from
epidemiologists who found the DPH study "fatally flawed."

I am pleased to have had the support from an epidemiologist in a federal
agency who wrote as a private citizen criticizing the DPH study and
offering suggestion on how an investigation should be conducted. This
was followed last week by a letter cosigned by four faculty members of
the school of public health at a local university. These scientists
are well known and respected for "conducting community-based research on
the health effects of environmental pollution." Their expertise extends
to the fields of epidemiology, environmental health, and biostatistics.
They asked for adequate funding of a well-designed and comprehensive
study "by a multidisciplinary team of experts in close collaboration
with the affected community."

To be sure, funding will be a problem. I have written to our local
congressman, Rep. William Delahunt, asking him to obtain federal
funding. These scientists will also be writing to Delahunt as well. I
pointed out that Sen. Harry Reid and Sen. Arlen Spector obtained funding
for university based investigatoins of cancer clusters in their states.

Oftentimes, the dilligent investigation of localized outbreaks of
disease yields progress in finding a cause, which may lead to protection
or elimination. The Cape Cod Ewing's Sarcoma Cluster has a sufficient
number of cases (more than five) to meet the standard of stastical
significance, with less (actually much less) than a 5% chance that it is
random. That does not mean that a common factor will be found, but if
you don't ask the right questions, you don't get the answers.

It is possible that a dilligent investigation of peculliar groups with
lesser numbers of Ewing's cases in Beverly, MA, Norton, VA, or the
communities surrounding Chicago and Detroit will yield additional
information. We have noted cases of rhabdomyosarcoma and osteochondroma
in the Cape Cod community coincident with the Ewing's cluster.
Rhabdomyosarcoma has also been noted in other communities with Ewing's.

Those seeking direction on how to contribute may want to drop Rep.
Delahunt an email using the congress.org resource. You can let your own
representative know that the Cape Cod Ewing's Cluster has been brought
to the attention of Rep. Delahunt.

You could also contact your state department of public health describing
the patterns of Ewing's you observe. You'll probably be blown off;
there is common response to public inquiries that almost rises to the
level of a doctrine. However, (there is a slim chance) you might get
someone who is willing to look deeper. A state department of public
health has access to the state cancer registry which will identify each
case. Ewing's often is overlooked, as is is diluted in the statisitcs
of bone cancer, which is sometime omitted from statistical reports on
adult cancer. Find out how Ewing's and other childhood cancer is
reported by your registry.

Bernie