Health & Fitness
Investigation Into Elevated Kidney Cancer Rates In Merrimack
Data shows an unusually high rate of kidney cancer among Merrimack residents between 2009 and 2018.
CONCORD, NH — A $500,000 contract to help officials investigate the cause of elevated kidney cancer rates in Merrimack has been approved, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
The investigation was opened based on a recent analysis from the DHHS which found that there were more cases of kidney cancer among Merrimack residents between 2009 and 2018 than would typically be expected among residents in a town of a similar size, officials said.
The large contract, between the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and Dartmouth College, will build on this analysis and help officials gather information about potential environmental exposures, risk factors, and health outcomes in Merrimack.
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"The contract will enable the department to leverage Dartmouth’s clinical and research expertise to continue responding to community concerns about increased cancer rates and giving residents the information they need to stay healthy," Patricia Tilley, director of the DHHS Division of Public Health Services, said in a news release.
Previous analyses have indicated that Merrimack drinking water is contaminated with potentially cancer-causing synthetic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, officials noted. However, there is currently no definitive link between these chemicals and cancer in Merrimack, and a multi-year, detailed study is likely needed to provide definitive answers, according to officials.
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In the process, officials will "rely on engagement with members of the community" as their research efforts will include contacting people who live or lived in Merrimack and have been diagnosed with kidney cancer.
Symptoms of kidney cancer can include blood in the urine, fatigue, lower back or side pain, and loss of appetite according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You can lower your risk of developing kidney cancer by maintaining a healthy body weight and avoiding smoking, health officials said.
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