The release of state cancer data showing fewer than 11 Ewing sarcoma cases in Ladera Ranch from 2012–2021 has intensified local fears that a cluster of rare childhood cancers may be linked to historical pesticide and herbicide use. Residents say more recent diagnoses and deaths are not reflected in the registry, and they are demanding updated counts and a case map. Federal and independent inquiries have been launched: the U.S. Attorney's office asked the EPA to review possible environmental links, and Bond Legal is conducting its own investigation.
Ladera Ranch Fears Grow After State Cancer Data Shows Rare Childhood Tumors — Families Demand Answers
Parents in affluent Ladera Ranch, Orange County, say newly released state cancer figures have intensified fears that years of pesticide and herbicide use could be linked to an apparent cluster of extremely rare childhood cancers.
Twenty-three-year-old Lily Dalton died in January. GoFundMe
The California Cancer Registry reported fewer than 11 confirmed cases of Ewing sarcoma in Ladera Ranch across the 10-year period ending in 2021, and countywide totals of 35 cases through 2021. Residents and local officials say those figures do not include several more recent diagnoses and deaths, and they are demanding updated, more granular data.
Haven Keetch was diagnosed with a rare cancer that affects fewer than 1,000 Americans each year. Facebook/@haven.keetch
Families Say Data Is Out Of Date
Families point to diagnoses and deaths reported after the registry cutoff — including the March 2026 death of 17-year-old Brody Matteson and the recent death of 23-year-old Lily Dalton — as evidence that the published numbers understate the current situation. Parents want a clear, up-to-date accounting of cases and a map showing where cases have occurred.
The firm said it plans to examine possible environmental exposures, including historical pesticide and herbicide applications. Unwind – stock.adobe.com
"Has that number grown? If it has grown, has it grown to a significant incident that it would be a cause for alarm? We need answers so that we can plan. So that we can protect the public health," Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley told CBS.
Concerns About Environmental Exposures
Many residents have pointed to years of pesticide and herbicide applications across parks, common areas and open space in the master-planned community as a possible environmental factor. Parents and advocates are calling for a thorough review of historical chemical use, soil and groundwater conditions, and prior land uses in and around Ladera Ranch.
Dalton's father has publicly asked, "Why are so many young children and adults developing incredibly rare cancers in the same community?" GoFundMe
So far, county and state authorities say they have not established a causal link between chemical applications and the cancer cases. At the same time, families and lawyers argue that the limited public data and the registry's 2021 cutoff leave unanswered questions that warrant further evaluation.
Brody Matteson's family said his battle began after he complained of persistent back pain shortly before his 16th birthday. Obtained by the CA Post
Federal And Independent Inquiries
The growing alarm has prompted federal attention: First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli asked the Environmental Protection Agency to review whether environmental factors could be contributing to what residents believe may be a cancer cluster and whether federal environmental laws might have been violated.
The data does not include several diagnoses reported after 2021. Unwind – stock.adobe.com
Independently, Bond Legal has opened an inquiry and is seeking families whose children lived in or frequently visited Ladera Ranch and were later diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma or other rare pediatric cancers. The firm says it will examine possible exposures including historical pesticide/herbicide applications, soil and groundwater conditions, former agricultural land use and other potential hazards.
Jessica Keetch said her 18-year-old daughter, Haven, lost her leg after developing synovial sarcoma. Instagram/@havenkeetch
About The Cancers
Ewing sarcoma is a rare bone and soft-tissue cancer that the American Cancer Society estimates affects roughly 200 to 240 children and adolescents nationwide each year. Other rare tumors have also been reported in the community, such as synovial sarcoma, which affects fewer than 1,000 people annually in the U.S.
The concerns have also spread beyond Ewing sarcoma. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
What Residents Want
Residents are pressing for greater transparency and updated public data: a current tally of cases, patient-date ranges, and a spatial map that pinpoints where affected children lived or regularly visited. They say those steps are essential to determine whether targeted environmental tests or public-health interventions are needed.
Key names and sources: California Cancer Registry (data through 2021); Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley; First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli; Bond Legal; families and local news reports.
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