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Families in Ladera Ranch, Calif. are raising concerns over a cluster of rare childhood cancer cases in the community
Officials are investigating potential environmental factors, including pesticide exposure, as a possible link to the cancer cluster
A local homeowners association has paused certain pesticide use and formed a committee to review pest management practices
More cases of rare cancer have been reported in children from Ladera Ranch, a California town where one child has already died.
“I think that people need to listen and wake up and realize something is happening to our children. This is not random,” Jessica Keetch told NBC LA on Wednesday, July 15. Her daughter, Haven, had her right foot amputated after she was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a soft tissue cancer that impacts the muscles and ligaments, and is often found in the limbs, near joints, the National Cancer Institute says.
The day her daughter was diagnosed, she told the outlet, is “the worst day for a parent that you could ever have.”
The outlet reports that there are 12 more cases now attributed to this cluster. Health concerns about Ladera Ranch first made headlines following the death of 17-year-old Brody Matteson, who was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in August 2024. As a GoFundMe established to support the family explains, his treatment caused him to develop a secondary cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML). He died on March 22.
Brody Matteson died of a rare cancer in March 2026
Credit: GoFundMe
Like synovial sarcoma, Ewing sarcoma impacts soft tissues, but it also can affect bones. About 200 children are diagnosed with it each year, the American Cancer Society says. In Ladera Ranch, Matteson’s family says at least five children have had the disease.
The families are looking to pesticides as a potential cause of the spike in rare childhood cancers in Ladera Ranch. Although a direct link between pesticide exposure and cancer hasn’t been established, studies have found an association between the two. “Increased risk of some childhood cancers in association with pesticide exposure is suggested by multiple studies,” the National Library of Medicine says.
“These are our children, these are our babies,” Keetch told the outlet. “If we can do better, we need to do better.”
Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, posted on X a copy of a July 16 letter he sent to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the “unusual cluster of pediatric cancers in the Ladera Ranch community.” He’s requesting the agency launch an investigation “to determine if there are any environmental factors causing this cancer cluster.”
“The concentration of cases in a single community is deeply troubling, especially to those who live there,” Candice Bond, managing partner of Bond Legal, which has stated that it is investigating the cluster, said in The Legal Advocate. PEOPLE has reached out to Bond Legal for further comment.
An aerial view of Ladera Ranch, Calif.
Credit: Getty
In a statement to PEOPLE, Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation (LARMAC) said, “The Board recently established an Ad Hoc Landscape Pest Management Advisory Committee to evaluate the Association’s current Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program and develop recommendations. To support that review, the Board has directed staff to implement a temporary 60-day pause on the routine use of certain landscape maintenance products while the review is underway.”
“In addition to establishing the Advisory Committee and implementing the temporary 60-day pause, the Association is evaluating additional transparency measures, including enhanced resident notifications, expanded information about landscape products, and additional reporting on the Integrated Pest Management program,” LARMAC continued.
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As for other potential causes of cancer, a representative for LARMAC told PEOPLE: “LARMAC is not a public health agency and is neither qualified nor authorized to investigate medical conditions or determine their causes. Public health investigations are conducted by the appropriate agencies, and LARMAC will continue to fully cooperate with any requests for information.”
“The Board recognizes residents’ concerns and remains committed to listening to community feedback, increasing transparency, providing updates throughout the Advisory Committee’s work, and continuing to cooperate with the appropriate public health authorities,” they continued.
Read the original article on People