Breast Cancer Cases Puzzling

An unusually high number of young Valley County women are falling prey to breast cancer, but health officials are unsure why.

For two months, three health agencies have studied breast cancer rates in the popular resort area.

The agency released conclusions Friday.

The incidence of breast cancer is significantly higher in McCall than the rest of Idaho. There are 345 cases per 100,000 women in Valley County, compared with 299 cases per 100,000 women statewide.

The majority of cancer victims surveyed were women who have lived in Valley County year-round for at least five years.

Victims provided no hunches about an environmental link.

The board of the Central District Health Department approved a plan to see how many Valley County victims were prone to breast cancer because they smoked cigarettes, came from families with a history of breast cancer or had other risk factors for the disease.

The findings will be compared to national averages by next spring.

The Central District board decided against a review of drinking water quality in McCall. Some residents are concerned that pesticides or other chemicals in the city’s drinking water might cause breast cancer.