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• Incomplete Surveys -Callers were unable to obtain responses from all residents living in the <br />Mill Creek Road area; 25 (19%) households could not be reached and 22 (16%) households <br />reached declined to respond to the survey. The survey yielded a 65% overall completion rate. <br />Rental Property -It is assumed that 22 of the properties in the study area are rentals, This was <br />the number of households where the mailing address for the tax bills did not match the <br />property address, The databases available to Orange County Environmental Health list the <br />property owner's name and contact information, which prevented interviewers from reaching <br />several residents. In some instances, property owners when contacted refused to provide rental <br />resident contact information. <br />• Self-Reporting of Cancer Status -The survey used aself-report of cancer status and there was <br />no verification with medical records or medical providers. The onset or diagnoses of cancer <br />could have been reported incorrectly. <br />• External Risk Factors -According to the CDC and the National Cancer Institute, family <br />history and lifestyle factors such as diet azid tobacco use often influence cazicer diagnosis. <br />This assessment did not attempt to liirl< reported cancer diagnoses to any risk factors. <br />North Carolina Central Cancer Registry Evaluation <br />At the Orange County Health Department's request, the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry <br />evaluated the incidence of cancer in the Mill Creek Road area using the data gathered through the <br />North Carolina Central Cancer Registry. Reporting of cancer cases to the Registry is required of all <br />health care providers who diagnose or treat cazicer. The evaluation that the Registry conducted <br />included a broader geographical area thazi the one studied by the OCHD, For comparison purposes, <br />maps delineating both study areas can be found in Appendix 4. The Cancer Registry's study <br />comprised two census block groups in northwest Orange County. The Health Department's study <br />area fell within the area evaluated by the Cancer Registry. <br />This evaluation compared North Carolina, Orange County, and the study azea for afive-year period <br />of time (1999-2003). None of the rates were found to be significantly higher than North Carolina <br />rates or expected rates in the Registry's study area. The conclusion of this report is that the data do <br />not suggest a clustering of cancer cases in the Mill Creek area. The full report has been included in <br />the appendix. <br />Page 9 of 47 <br />