ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Nearly eight years after WPTV first investigated concerns about a possible cluster of glioblastoma cases in St. Lucie County, health officials have reviewed the numbers again.
The latest findings show the number of cases remains in line with what would be expected based on the county's population, but families who lost loved ones to the deadly brain cancer say important questions remain unanswered.
The latest review by the Florida Department of Health follows years of WPTV reporting into concerns raised by patients and families who discovered they lived near others diagnosed with the same aggressive form of brain cancer.
While health officials say the data does not show a statistically significant increase in cases, the review does not examine whether patients were concentrated on particular streets or in specific neighborhoods.
For families who have spent years searching for answers, that distinction matters.
A young man's death helped spark an investigation
For Deb Johnston, the loss of her son, Lenny Schelin Jr., is still painful.
"It's been 8 years since Lenny passed," she said.
Lenny was just 33 years old when he died from glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.
He was healthy, active and loved fishing. He survived just 17 months after his diagnosis.
"Everybody loved Lenny. He just had this charm about him," his mother recalled.
Lenny's story was among the first that helped WPTV uncover concerns about glioblastoma cases in St. Lucie County.
Other patients included Mark Cunningham, who was also in his 30s, and Kyle Vericella, who was just 18.
After WPTV’s Meghan McRoberts uncovered the local cases, dozens of additional patients and family members contacted her with their stories.
Area doctors and neurosurgeons also expressed concerns.
Glioblastoma is most commonly diagnosed in older adults, making the younger ages of some patients particularly troubling to their families.
But it wasn't just their ages that raised questions.
As patients began connecting with one another, WPTV mapped where they lived beginning in 2018.
Some lived within blocks of one another. Others lived on the same street. In one case, unrelated patients had lived in the same home.
The reporting drew attention from lawmakers, environmental advocate Erin Brockovich and the Florida Department of Health.
What did the original 2019 investigation find?
The concerns prompted health officials to examine glioblastoma cases in St. Lucie County.
"You brought it to my attention. It was alarming, it was nerve wracking," Clint Sperber, administrator for the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County told WPTV's Meghan McRoberts.
Sperber said the concerns led to a request for assistance from Florida's cancer registry.
"I asked for assistance to our cancer registry through our leadership, my boss," he said. "And we were able to help collect a lot of information."
That information was compiled into a report released in 2019.
Despite concerns about the number of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, the report did not find a statistically significant increase in cases that would warrant a more intensive investigation.
Health officials also reviewed existing environmental monitoring information, including public water utility data and radiation monitoring records associated with the area's power plant.
Sperber pointed to ongoing environmental monitoring as part of the state's assessment.
"There is water testing, there is vegetation testing, they look at watermelon, milk, fish, soil, they would know if there is any release of radiation," Sperber said.
The findings were disappointing for families who had hoped the investigation would uncover an explanation.
"I was like deflated because we worked so hard," Johnston said.
What does the latest glioblastoma review show?
Seven years after the original report, health officials have taken another look at glioblastoma cases in St. Lucie County.
Their conclusion remains largely unchanged.
"The conclusion that was found in 2019 is the same one we have today," Sperber told WPTV. "We are seeing the same ratio, the same expected number of cases that we would expect statewide for our county."
According to Sperber, a county with approximately 400,000 residents would be expected to see about 14 to 15 new glioblastoma diagnoses each year.
The report also shows from 2019 to 2023, there were 95 cases of glioblastoma, just three cases more than the 92 expected.
Health officials say the latest review does not identify an unusual increase in glioblastoma cases compared with statewide expectations.
Unlike the 2019 report, however, the latest review does not break down cases by age or sex.
Officials say there are too few cases to make those comparisons statistically reliable.
The review also considered existing water and radiation monitoring records without identifying new concerns.
What questions remain?
Although the latest review did not find an unusual increase in glioblastoma cases countywide, it does not settle every question raised by patients and their families.
Sperber acknowledged the analysis does not closely examine whether patients lived near one another on particular streets or within specific neighborhoods.
That means the review's broader findings do not necessarily address the geographic patterns that originally concerned families.
Determining what causes glioblastoma is also challenging.
Sperber pointed to recent research by the International Journal of Molecular Sciences identifying nearly a dozen potential factors associated with the disease, making it difficult to identify a single environmental source.
"I wish there was an answer," Sperber said. "I wish there was a smoking gun that says okay here is the reason, the cause, the source for glioblastoma."
As St. Lucie County's population continues to grow, health officials expect the total number of diagnoses to rise as well.
But for families who lost loved ones, the question remains whether the countywide numbers tell the entire story.
A mother's call for a closer look at her hometown
For Johnston, hearing that the state's findings have not changed was difficult.
"I was deflated when you told me that. I was like, oh my God," she told McRoberts.
She remains grateful that health officials are continuing to review the numbers.
When asked whether she was glad the state was still looking into the issue, she responded, "Yes … it gives you hope for the others that come behind us."
But she wants investigators to look more closely at individual neighborhoods, rather than relying on broader geographic data.
When McRoberts asked where she would like additional testing conducted, her answer was immediate.
"In the White City area," she said.
Nearly eight years after losing her son, Deb says the search for answers has taken an emotional toll.
"I haven't given up, it's just you get tired," she said.
Millions invested in glioblastoma research
Since WPTV's initial reporting, the Florida Department of Health has invested at least $9 million in glioblastoma research.
Deb has also worked to support research in her son's memory.
Each year, she hosts a fishing tournament honoring Lenny, who loved spending time on the water.
The event has raised nearly $300,000 for glioblastoma research.
Another tournament is approaching, continuing her efforts to help other families facing the same devastating diagnosis.
For Deb, the hope is that continued research and closer examination of local cases will eventually provide answers.
"I'm just glad you have followed through the way that you have," she told McRoberts.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
