Houston’s Fifth Ward residents offered free cancer screenings as water, soil testing continues
Sandra Edwards wears a “Creosote Killed Me” shirt, which were made in response to the creosote contamination allegedly caused by the Union Pacific Railyard. Taken on Jan. 27, 2021.Some residents of Houston's Fifth Ward, where there is ongoing soil and water testing for cancer-causing toxic chemicals, now have the opportunity to receive free cancer screenings as part of a new collaboration between city leaders and a national nonprofit. Houston City Council member Letitia Plummer has coordinated with the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) to bring the free screenings to Fifth Ward. The neighborhood will be the first of 20 sites nationwide to participate in NMQF's Cancer Stage Shifting Initiative. According to the Washington-based nonprofit, the new initiative aims to enroll 100,000 participants across the country over the next five years. Over the next several weeks in Houston, volunteers working alongside Egality Health will be going door-to-door to survey residents and provide the opportunity to be screened, with priority for those who have lived in the neighborhood the longest. Plummer said the program is designed to provide testing to those in Fifth Ward who might otherwise not have access to it. Fifth Ward is a predominantly Black and low-income community. "Not having access to health care or not having any type of early detection opportunities is really even more of a problem in the area," Plummer said. "Having the opportunity to have some type of early detection cancer screening is really, really paramount." The cancer screening initiative comes weeks after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first round of soil testing results from the area, which found elevated levels of highly toxic chemical compounds at some locations. However, the results did not meet the EPA's threshold for immediate intervention, according to the agency. The soil testing occurred around the now-defunct Houston Wood Preserving Works — a wood treatment facility operated by the former Southern Pacific Railroad from 1911 to 1984. The facility is now owned by Union Pacific Railroad. According to the EPA, creosote, a likely human carcinogen, was the main preserver used at the facility. Plummer said 200 residents per year, for the next two years, will be able to participate in the screening program. "So, it's really important to note here that this is a blood analysis and we're looking for cancer indicators," she said. "So, if [indicators] come up, the next step would be for us to refer them to their primary care physician." If a resident tests positive for cancer indicators but doesn't have insurance, Plummer said the Harris County health department will assist in securing treatment. "If they are uninsured, then we have the commitment from Harris Health to get them eligible for a gold card," she said. "Once they get the card, then they will be able to have their [primary care physician] at Harris Health. ... Obviously, we'll track them along the way, so they'll never be left without information." Beyond screening residents for cancer, research will also be a key aspect of the initiative, Plummer said, especially since Black residents have been under-represented in past clinical research. "Historically, these medications don't work on Black and brown people ... and it's because we don't get in these studies," she said. "So, for medications to work better, we have to educate our communities to say, ‘Listen, I know historically y’all's mindset is the Tuskegee Experiment.' ... We've got to clear that and make sure that we set the record straight on how research works." Plummer said Fifth Ward's Grace Clinic will be administering the screenings and Quest Diagnostics will be conducting the lab testing. The research will also be conducted under an Institutional Review Board (IRB), which will review the ethics of the study. "IRB is a regulation of how research has to be done based on the federal government's Heath and Human Services," she said. "This is an IRB-approved test or screening. It gives validity to the process." NMQF and all of the other partners involved in the initiative will be hosting a community presentation from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the DeLuxe Theater, 3303 Lyons Ave. Plummer said she hopes the screenings can start a chain reaction of future assistance to a community whose concerns have historically been overlooked. "I think it's important for people to understand that we had to start somewhere," she said. "We're not excluding anyone. We just had to get a starting point. And if this is successful, then I do believe that there will be an opportunity to do more tests. We just have to start."
The cancer screening initiative comes weeks after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its first round of soil testing results from the area, which found elevated levels of highly toxic chemical compounds at some locations.
Some residents of Houston's Fifth Ward, where there is ongoing soil and water testing for cancer-causing toxic chemicals, now have the opportunity to receive free cancer screenings as part of a new collaboration between city leaders and a national nonprofit.
Houston City Council member Letitia Plummer has coordinated with the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) to bring the free screenings to Fifth Ward. The neighborhood will be the first of 20 sites nationwide to participate in NMQF's Cancer Stage Shifting Initiative.
According to the Washington-based nonprofit, the new initiative aims to enroll 100,000 participants across the country over the next five years.
Over the next several weeks in Houston, volunteers working alongside Egality Health will be going door-to-door to survey residents and provide the opportunity to be screened, with priority for those who have lived in the neighborhood the longest.
Plummer said the program is designed to provide testing to those in Fifth Ward who might otherwise not have access to it. Fifth Ward is a predominantly Black and low-income community.
"Not having access to health care or not having any type of early detection opportunities is really even more of a problem in the area," Plummer said. "Having the opportunity to have some type of early detection cancer screening is really, really paramount."
The cancer screening initiative comes weeks after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first round of soil testing results from the area, which found elevated levels of highly toxic chemical compounds at some locations. However, the results did not meet the EPA's threshold for immediate intervention, according to the agency.
The soil testing occurred around the now-defunct Houston Wood Preserving Works — a wood treatment facility operated by the former Southern Pacific Railroad from 1911 to 1984. The facility is now owned by Union Pacific Railroad.
According to the EPA, creosote, a likely human carcinogen, was the main preserver used at the facility.
Plummer said 200 residents per year, for the next two years, will be able to participate in the screening program.
"So, it's really important to note here that this is a blood analysis and we're looking for cancer indicators," she said. "So, if [indicators] come up, the next step would be for us to refer them to their primary care physician."
If a resident tests positive for cancer indicators but doesn't have insurance, Plummer said the Harris County health department will assist in securing treatment.
"If they are uninsured, then we have the commitment from Harris Health to get them eligible for a gold card," she said. "Once they get the card, then they will be able to have their [primary care physician] at Harris Health. ... Obviously, we'll track them along the way, so they'll never be left without information."
Beyond screening residents for cancer, research will also be a key aspect of the initiative, Plummer said, especially since Black residents have been under-represented in past clinical research.
"Historically, these medications don't work on Black and brown people ... and it's because we don't get in these studies," she said. "So, for medications to work better, we have to educate our communities to say, ‘Listen, I know historically y’all's mindset is the Tuskegee Experiment.' ... We've got to clear that and make sure that we set the record straight on how research works."
Plummer said Fifth Ward's Grace Clinic will be administering the screenings and Quest Diagnostics will be conducting the lab testing. The research will also be conducted under an Institutional Review Board (IRB), which will review the ethics of the study.
"IRB is a regulation of how research has to be done based on the federal government's Heath and Human Services," she said. "This is an IRB-approved test or screening. It gives validity to the process."
NMQF and all of the other partners involved in the initiative will be hosting a community presentation from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the DeLuxe Theater, 3303 Lyons Ave.
Plummer said she hopes the screenings can start a chain reaction of future assistance to a community whose concerns have historically been overlooked.
"I think it's important for people to understand that we had to start somewhere," she said. "We're not excluding anyone. We just had to get a starting point. And if this is successful, then I do believe that there will be an opportunity to do more tests. We just have to start."