cancer cluster

[kan-ser kluhs-ter]

noun

1. the occurrence of a higher than expected number of cancer cases in a small, defined geographical area or population.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cancer cluster¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Texas health officials in 2019 identified a cancer cluster in Houston’s historically Black Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens neighborhoods.

Read more on Seattle Times

For Xochitl, Theo, and Alisha, it’s about a cancer cluster in a refinery town; for Dwayne, it’s about eminent domain; for Michael, a “man camp” on or near the Fort Berthold reservation; and for Shawn, it’s about watching the world burn on Twitter.

Read more on Slate

In towns across the country — whether a cancer cluster near a railroad facility in Houston, lead pipes in Chicago or water contamination in towns near military bases from California to New York — many are still experiencing the effects.

Read more on Washington Post

In the late 1990s, a cancer cluster sprouted in Suva Elementary and Intermediate Schools in Bell Gardens that led to a legal settlement against a nearby chromer.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

And residents of Toms River, where “cancer cluster” is part of the local vocabulary and bottled water is the only type many will drink, are not happy with the deal, describing it as woefully insufficient.

Read more on Seattle Times