2009.07.01 – Polycythemia Vera meeting in Tamaqua set for next week

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Polycythemia Vera meeting in Tamaqua set for next week

FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published: July 1, 2009

A public meeting on polycythemia vera will be held July 9 in the Tamaqua Area High School auditorium, according to a press release from the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Polycythemia vera, or PV, a rare type of blood cancer, has drawn local concern because of high instances in the area between McAdoo and Tamaqua.

According the press release, the meeting is intended to inform area residents of recent efforts regarding PV, including reports from the investigators of three studies: the Drexel epidemiological study, the McAdoo Superfund Site Water Outflow Study and the ATSDR JAK2 screening project.

JAK2 is a genetic marker found in more than 95 percent of PV patients, the press release said, and people with PV may test positive for JAK2 years before exhibiting PV symptoms.

Free blood screenings will be available to Schuylkill County residents in August, according to the press release.

The registry is a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services which evaluates the human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances.

The meeting is set for 7 to 9 p.m. at the high school, 500 Penn St., Tamaqua.