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SIERRA VISTA - Six-year-old Linus Nordbrock watches intently as a nurse swabs his father's mouth with a tiny brush.
"See dad, it doesn't hurt," he says authoritatively. "It kind of tickles."
Linus would know. He had gone through the same procedure just ahead of his father.
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Sandra Tate, a registered nurse who works for the Cochise County Health Department carefully seals and packages the samples, preparing them for shipping.
Urine samples are next, then blood.
Linus' whole family - mother, Terry Nordbrock; dad, David Forbes; and 8-year-old brother, Henry Forbes - drove to Sierra Vista from their Tucson home Thursday to participate in a bio-sampling dress rehearsal, something they wanted to do to help county health officials.
Following precise guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Department nurses ship the family's blood, urine and buccal (cheek) samples to a CDC lab in Atlanta, where the agency scrutinizes the department's bio-sampling protocol.
If all checks out, county health officials will be going door-to-door on a random search for families to participate in bio-sampling, part of an effort to gather data that will be used by the CDC for research.
Sierra Vista was slated for bio-sampling by the CDC when 12 children with ties to the area were diagnosed with leukemia, three times the number of cases expected in a community this size.
"Two families volunteered to participate in the 'dry run' sampling effort," said Rita Weatherholt, county health department spokeswoman. "Basically, this is our final step before we start our door-to-door effort."
The CDC wanted to ensure that protocol is strictly followed, Weatherholt said.
"We offered to be part of the quality control measure because we wanted to do anything we could to help get the bio-sampling started," said Terry Nordborck, whose son, Linus, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2001. "Linus was only 2 when he was diagnosed. I think all parents of a child with cancer ask a lot of questions: What caused this? What can I do to keep my child safe? What about the possibility of a relapse?"
While treatments for leukemia have improved dramatically through the years, Terry Nordbrock said scientists and doctors seem unable to answer many questions about the disease.
"I'm hopeful that by contributing to this research effort, science will be able to figure out some of the mysteries of cancer," she said. "When I talked to my family about being part of the bio-sampling, they all agreed to do it."
After experiencing Linus's leukemia and treatment, Nordbrock started researching cancer. Her efforts led to the formation of Families Against Cancers and Toxins, also FACT, a group that advocates for more cancer research and environmental investigations.
"We wouldn't have started FACT if we had been pleased with the level of investigation already happening," she said. "We're really impressed with the research for cancer treatment, but are dismayed with cancer prevention efforts."
Nordbrock and her family see bio-sampling as a scientific measure that holds great promise for cancer research, specifically the cause of cancer and thus, its prevention.
"Bio-sampling is new technology, and we're fortunate to be included in this whole process," she said. "Of the 108 cancer cluster investigations the CDC has conducted, this is only the second one that has made use of bio-sampling technology."
Research in Fallon, Nev., where 16 children in a population of about 8,000 were found to have leukemia, was first, Nordborck said.
The CDC exercises strict protocol when working with live subjects, Nordborck said. There is oversight throughout the entire process, and all information is confidential.
Samples will be tested for 150 specific chemical substances that occur in the environment, especially metals, Nordbrock said.
While health officials do not expect to find immediate answers through this effort, samples will be banked and used at a later date, for future research.
Diane Carper, director of the county health department, and Epidemiologist Gary Spivey were on hand during the quality control segment of the bio-sampling effort.
Carper said she applauds Terry Nordbrock and her family's willingness to take part in Cochise County's bio-sampling process, as well as their openness about discussing the process.
"One of our concerns is that people will be reluctant to participant in this because of fear of the unknown," she said. "The fact that this family is so willing to do this helps to remove the fear that some people might have."
HERALD/REVIEW reporter Dana Cole can be reached at 515-4618.
Joe Hicks wrote on Oct 8, 2007 2:22 PM: