Still on the hunt for killer tortillas

Could corn tortillas be causing cancer?
Jaie Avila, WOAI Channel 4 video

For nearly two years now, the News 4 Trouble Shooters have been investigating why people living near the former Kelly Air Force Base are dying of liver cancer at a rate twice as high as other parts of Texas. Trouble Shooter Jaie Avila tells us why health officials are now studying whether a very popular food here in South Texas could be responsible.

It's something most of us eat all the time. Corn tortillas. Your tax dollars are being spent to study whether they are causing cancer on the south side of town, even though a known cancer-causing chemical has already been found in the groundwater.

The News 4 Trouble Shooters introduced you to Mary Lou Ornelas nearly two years ago. She worked at the former Kelly Air Force Base for about 20 years, and even lived nearby. She worked with dangerous chemicals, including something called TCE, or Tricloroehtylene, a known cancer-causing agent.

Sadly, Mary Lou died less than a week after our interview. She was part of a large group of liver cancer patients living around the old base. For years, county officials have been trying to determine what's causing the increased cancer levels.

Dr. Fernando Guerra, the Director of the Health Department described the group as, "People who are, who are fairly young still, you know. Their mid to late 40's and 50's, etc."
Many people living in the area are convinced their health problems are the result of the TCE, which was found to have seeped into groundwater. The plume of contaminated water was first mapped out in 1999 and stretched underneath 22,000 homes across the south and southwest sides of town. The area was even dubbed the "Toxic Triangle."In the last few years, the plume has shrunk because the air force is slowly cleaning it up.

However, a number of studies have failed to connect TCE exposure, to the cancer cases. Dr. Guerra told us, "For the most part, we did not find an association in the study that we did, which is reassuring."

So now, the health department is going in a different direction.
Texas A&M and Texas Tech researchers are now studying whether corn, like you'd find in corn tortillas, could be causing the liver cancer.

Dr. Kirby Donnelly, who is heading up the study from A&M's end, said it's not as silly as it sounds, when he sat down with Jaie Avila recently.

Avila asked, "You've got this TCE underground in the ground water, and yet you guys are studying corn tortillas."Dr. Donnelly answered, "Yes, and I'm sympathetic to that frustration. I know on the surface it sounds like, 'Oh, you're coming here and we've got this environmental problem. We know the trichloriethelene's in the ground water. We know that these chlorinated solvents are getting into our households and you're looking at tortillas, and everybody eats tortillas, but not every doesn't get liver cancer.' Well, the issue, the more important issue is, the people who get liver cancer are likely getting liver cancer because of a number of things. Not just their environment. Not just their nutrition. Not just their genes."

Donnelly says a study in Africa found that a toxic mold sometimes found naturally in corn and grains is believed to be a contributing factor to liver cancer cases among some local residents there, but those people also suffered from hepatitis, or had other liver problems.

"There was a study that was specifically done in South Texas that showed that there are certain corn products that do have relatively high levels of these chemicals in them," explained Dr. Donnelly, "So, yes, we are suspicious of corn products."

So researchers are asking residents of the toxic triangle to take a blood and urine test, and fill out a questionnaire in order to examine their diet and medical background for a missing cancer link.

The study is costing taxpayers $90,000, partly through a grant, and partly through the air force, which again, is in charge of the TCE cleanup.

Avila told Dr. Donnelly, "It seems like a conflict to have the military paying for part of this study, when it is in their interest to find something else responsible, other than TCE." Dr. Donnelly responded that the air force was not paying for his part of the study, but added, "I think that is true...what that does for me, is, drastically reduces the costs that I have to do the study."

We asked Dr. Donnelly if he thought we're going to know what's causing the liver cancer rates to go up in these zip codes when the study concludes. "It is a long shot...having said that, I think it's best shot we've got."

You are probably wondering, if corn tortillas are to blame, why don't more of us who eat them get liver cancer? Not just people living near Kelly? Well, researchers tell us they think there may be a combination of factors, unique to that area, contributing to the cancer rate, such as the pollution, genetics, and perhaps, corn tortillas.

For the study to have any chance at success, researchers say they need 500 people from three zip codes to participate. Those are 78207, 78228 and 78237. They only have about 150 people participating so far.