Doctors are baffled by unusual concentration of rare eye cancer
A chilling mystery is affecting two communities in two different states. Over the course of roughly 20 years, cases of an extremely rare eye cancer have been cropping up in Auburn, Alabama, as well as Huntersville, North Carolina, CBS News reported Monday.
Normally, ocular melanoma only affects six in every 1 million people. "Most people don't know anyone with this disease," explained Dr. Marlana Orloff, the doctor treating Ashley McCrary, one of the patients from Alabama. But by the time McCrary was diagnosed, she already knew of two other cases — fellow alumnae of Auburn University.
A total of 36 cases have been observed among Auburn alumni, and an additional 18 in Huntersville residents. Orloff is now studying several of these cases at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, CBS News explained.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Because ocular melanoma is so rare, much is yet to be studied about it; as it stands now, there is no cure. But Orloff and her colleagues are hoping to discover new information that might explain why the cases are so concentrated in these communities — and help prevent any further spread of the dangerous disease.
Read more about these strange cases at CBS News.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
-
Women are getting their own baseball league again
In the Spotlight The league is on track to debut in 2026
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Giant TVs are becoming the next big retail commodity
Under the Radar Some manufacturers are introducing TVs over 8 feet long
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
When will mortgage rates finally start coming down?
The Explainer Much to potential homebuyers' chagrin, mortgage rates are still elevated
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published