Parents in affluent California regions are increasingly worried. Recent state cancer statistics seem to suggest that years of pesticide use might be connected to unusual clusters of rare childhood cancers.
Families in Ladera Ranch, situated in Orange County, have been urging local authorities to look into whether environmental issues could be influencing the worrying rise in Ewing sarcoma cases among children in their community.
Despite health officials stating that no definitive connection has been established, the new data only seems to compound these residents’ concerns.
The California Cancer Registry indicated that there were fewer than 11 recorded cases of Ewing’s sarcoma in Ladera Ranch over a decade leading up to 2021.
However, many parents feel that this figure is outdated.
Since 2021, there have been additional cases, like that of 17-year-old Brody Matteson, who sadly lost his battle with a rare cancer in March 2026.
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley expressed her worries to CBS, “Has that number increased? If there is an outbreak, is it serious enough to be concerning? We need answers to protect public health.”
Foley has asked multiple times for detailed information, including a map indicating where these cases are occurring in the county, but hasn’t received any.
“As of 2021, there are 35 active cases in Orange County,” she noted. “I’ve been requesting a map to pinpoint these cases, yet no one seems to have that information.”
The state’s statistics aren’t lessening residents’ fears; instead, many are hungry for more answers.
Numerous families highlight the extensive use of pesticides and herbicides throughout the community as a potential concern.
Questions linger, as families wonder why so many young people are developing such rare cancers in the same area.
However, authorities maintain that there’s no proof linking these chemicals to cancer cases.
“The number of ill children seems remarkably high,” resident Karen Smith shared with CBS. “I just want to know what’s really going on.”
Ewing sarcoma itself is among the rarest childhood cancers, affecting only about 200 to 240 kids and teens in the U.S. annually, according to the American Cancer Society.
Many families in Ladera Ranch have been impacted. For example, Brody’s journey started with persistent back pain just before he turned 16, leading to a diagnosis of cancer in his spine.
“He loved being outdoors, riding his bike, and exploring parks,” his mother, Megan Mattson, recounted to NBC Los Angeles. “That was Brody.”
Concerns go beyond just Ewing sarcoma, as another family, Jessica Keach’s, shared their struggle. Her 18-year-old daughter, Haven, was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma and lost a leg; it’s yet another rare cancer affecting fewer than 1,000 people in the nation each year.
The situation has caught the attention of federal agencies. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Esseri has reached out to the EPA, urging an investigation into whether environmental factors could be contributing to what residents fear is a cancer cluster and if any laws were broken.
“We’ve learned about multiple pediatric Ewing sarcoma cases in Ladera Ranch. There’s a significant concern regarding a potential cancer cluster, and it seems environmental factors could require further investigation,” Esseri noted in a recent letter.
In tandem, Bond Legal is also launching an investigation. They seek information from families whose children live in or frequently visit Ladera Ranch and have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma or other rare childhood cancers, looking into past pesticide use and environmental conditions.
