B-P research class conducting a local cancer study

In high school science teacher Brian Henry’s science research class, students are getting hands-on experience studying a topic that has personal meaning for many. The students are researching cancer rates in the Broadalbin area and the possible variables causing the numbers.

The elective class has its roots in B-P’s annual Patriot Pink Out, a charity soccer game started in 2009 to honor then-high school principal Margaret Robin Blowers and her battle with cancer. Henry, who is also the boys varsity soccer coach, noticed something at the event: a seemingly high number of people from the community told him they were directly affected by cancer.

For Henry, whose own mother has battled breast cancer, this raised a red flag, and he decided to investigate. Using information he found through independent research, he formed a research club at the high school in 2017. In 2019, the club evolved into a senior elective course on science research. 

The class is comprised of 10 students, all B-P seniors, who were members of the club in 2018 when they were freshmen. For many of the students, there is a personal connection to this research: A third of the students’ homes have been affected by cancer. 

Senior Alayna Preston lost her mother to cancer in 2011. “Mr. Henry has inspired me,” Preston said. “I tell everyone that I want to be like Mr. Henry because this is the type of work I want to do in the future.”

The students’ goal is to try to locate cancer clusters by collecting data from community members. The class is in contact with the Fulton County and the New York state health departments, as well as the New York State Bureau of Cancer Prevention and Control, in hopes they can further their research. (Data from 2011 to 2015 is below.) They are analyzing data collected by members of the class of 2020 along with the data they are currently collecting through a questionnaire they recently sent to residents of Broadalbin. Broadalbin residents who have not yet completed the questionnaire are encouraged to do so. 

So far, the class has received 108 responses, and 6.5% of participants reported that cancer is affecting their household. While inputting the responses, the students discovered that the Broadalbin cancer rate of 3.41% is higher than the national average.

Cancer was not the only concern the students noticed. Every person who responded had someone in their household dealing with a health issue. This raised many questions that the students are currently investigating: What is making the community sick? Are there more cancer clusters? Does their location matter? 

The students are finding that the more leads they investigate, the more questions appear. One avenue they are investigating is the use of private wells by local residents. The students’ research to date has shown that 86.1% of people using private wells do not filter their water. 

The old dump on Union Mills Road has also drawn students’ attention. Opened in the 1950s, the dump was used for 40 years before it was shut down, and the students’ understanding is that a lack of regulation enforcement during its operation enabled corporations to use it to dump chemical waste. 

Students are also examining the cancer rates on and around local farms where pesticides and fertilizers are used. They are investigating whether those chemicals could have contaminated the ground for miles around the farms. 

Students said working on this project means a lot to them. “We’re all grateful to Mr. Henry for creating this class and giving us an opportunity to further research about our community,” senior Shelby Fenton said. “It has opened all our eyes and is a really interesting elective to do.”

While some might find the topic of cancer scary, students said the class helps them better understand the impact research can have, and that it has the power to change lives for the better.

If you believe you have any information that could help the class, please contact Brian Henry at henryb@bpscd.org or complete the survey here.

The number of cancer cases in each of the three blocks from the New York State Department of Health’s Cancer Map from 2011-2015.

* Above expected results

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