Background: In 2003 the teachers at La Quinta, California middle school
complained that they had more cancers than would be expected. A consultant for
the school district denied that there was a problem.
Objectives: To investigate the cancer incidence in the teachers, and its cause.
Results: Sixteen school teachers in a cohort of 137 teachers hired in 1988
through 2005 were diagnosed with 18 cancers.
Conclusion: The cancer incidence in the teachers at this school is unusually high
and is strongly associated with high frequency voltage transients, which may be
a universal carcinogen, similar to ionizing radiation.