Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is anything in the environment causing cancer among Susquehanna University alumni?
A. No. Two exhaustive state studies – one by the state Department of Environmental Protection, the other by the state Department of Health – have concluded there are no environmental issues causing cancer in Selinsgrove. As further evidence, the rates of cancer among Selinsgrove residents were found to be 10 percent lower than for Pennsylvanians in general.
Q. Does that mean that SU alumni also have lower rates of cancer than Pennsylvanians in general?
A. No. A Pennsylvania Department of Health study of more than 9,600 SU alumni revealed higher rates of melanoma and testicular cancer among the group, but neither of these cancers has a known environmental cause. The study is the largest and most comprehensive ever undertaken by the agency.
Q. Then what is causing higher rates of melanoma and testicular cancer among alumni?
A. The answer is twofold:
First, the way the DOH study was conducted may have skewed some results higher than they might actually be:
- In comparing SU alumni with the general population of Pennsylvania, DOH adjusted the data to account only for variations in age and gender. The study was not able to adjust for any factors connected to individuals' genetic background, family or medical history, where they spent the years before or after Susquehanna, or work and lifestyle factors. The study did not factor in differences for race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or religious identity. All these factors can significantly affect rates of cancer. For instance, according to the National Cancer Institute, the risk of getting melanoma is 26 times higher for whites than for African Americans, and white American men are about five times more likely to get testicular cancer than African-American men. For the time period in question, Susquehanna's alumni population ranged from about 90-97 percent white. The Caucasian population for Pennsylvania – the study's comparison group – is 82 percent.
- DOH assumed that the average age of SU graduates is 20. The actual average age is 22. That would have the effect of making the picture look worse than it actually is.
- Rather than compare cancer rates among alumni with rates among the general population of the states where they reside, the study compared them to those of Pennsylvania, where alumni may have lived for only a short time. Further, about 18 percent of the alumni tracked in the study are from New Jersey, where melanoma incidence rates are higher. According to the National Cancer Institute, the incidence rate for melanoma in Pennsylvania is about 17 per 100,000, compared with nearly 20 per 100,000 in New Jersey.
It is worth noting that DOH officials say that they would expect similar results if such a study were undertaken at other college or universities.
Second, assuming the study results are accurate, SU alumni, because they are predominantly young and Caucasian, may be subject to more risk factors for these two types of cancer. (See "What are the risk factors" below.) In addition, rates for melanoma and testicular cancer, in general, are rising in Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. And finally, the fact that SU alumni are highly educated makes them more likely to have access to health care screening and detection, increasing the numbers of reported cancer diagnoses.
Q. How common is skin cancer?
A. Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers.
Q. What is melanoma?
A. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer. It accounts for less than 5 percent of skin cancer cases, but it causes most skin cancer deaths.
Q. What are the chances of getting melanoma?
A. According to the National Cancer Institute, the lifetime risk for contracting melanoma is 2.1 percent in whites, 0.08 percent in blacks and 0.54 percent in Hispanics. This means whites are 26 times more likely to get melanoma than blacks.
Q. What are the risk factors for melanoma?
A. The risk factors for melanoma are well-documented. According to the Centers for Disease Control, risk factors include exposure to sun and ultraviolet light, family history, fair skin and light eyes, blond or red hair and having certain types of moles. For the most part, staying out of the sun and using sun screen can dramatically reduce risk.
For more information, visit http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_1x.asp?dt=39.
Q. What are the chances of getting testicular cancer?
A. The American Cancer Society says that a man's lifetime chance of getting testicular cancer is 1 in 300. However, due to successful treatment, the risk of dying is very low, about 1 in 5,000. It is one of the most curable cancers with nearly 140,000 survivors in the U.S. Therefore, the importance of screening cannot be overestimated.
Q. What are the risk factors for testicular cancer?
A. According to the Centers for Disease Control, risk factors include family history, a compromised immune system, having an undescended testicle and sustaining an injury to the testicle. Youth, too, is a risk factor; testicular cancer is the most common male cancer in the 15 to 34 age group.
For more information, visit http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_1x.asp?dt=41.
Q. How thorough were these studies in ruling out environmental hazards?
A. The studies were unprecedented in scope. In 2007, the DEP study tested for 68 volatile organic compounds and 99 semi-volatile organic compounds — common chemical compounds ranging from benign to dangerous — through a variety of sampling and collection methods. Paul Chrostowski, Ph.D., an environmental health scientist with over 30 years experience, stated: "The sampling program undertaken by DEP in Selinsgrove is virtually unprecedented in the U.S. with respect to both number of samples and the sophisticated analytical equipment employed." The study found no imminent public health risks in the area, nor evidence of any residual contamination that would indicate a significant source of exposure previously existed.
The DOH study, released January 22, 2009, confirmed these results.
Q. How did concerns about environmental threats to student health originate?
A. Questions were first raised by the Harrisburg Patriot News, which speculated that a cancer risk was present among the university community with the physical environment as the cause. The newspaper has since corrected the record – along with many other regional media outlets – by reporting the results of the DOH study.
Q. What can I do to minimize risk factors for cancer and support my good health?
A. Protecting yourself against sun exposure, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising and avoiding tobacco are commonly recommended by medical professionals. Routine screenings are the best defense. Many forms of cancer are treatable and curable if detected early. You can learn more at http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/ped_0.asp.
If you have questions that are not answered on these pages, please contact us at 570-372-INFO / 570-372-4636 or info@susqu.edu.
