For years, people in Cheshire, Conn., have wondered why there seems to be so many cancer cases in their town. Now they may finally get some answers as state and federal health investigators look for any unusual link.

"There was no family history ... He told me I just had bad luck," said Michelle Cappiello of Cheshire.

Now, Cappiello is wondering if it was more than just bad luck when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer three years ago.

"With everything that's going on lately, I definitely wonder," Cappiello said.

Over the years, others have wondered too whether the cancer rates in Cheshire are unusually high.

"The State Department Of Public Health has told us that statistics don't bear that out, that there's no more of a high incidence of cancer here than anywhere else in the state," Michael Milone said.

But citizens groups convinced federal and state health officials to investigate. The Federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry will be testing nearly 50 sites in Cheshire to see if they contain cancer-causing substances.

While the State Department of Public Health will be conducting a health assessment, they will also be looking at any potential contamination in the town, review health statistics from cancer registries and get citizen feedback.

"The citizens deserve answers to these questions, and in some cases they feel they haven't gotten them. We want to get them those answers," Milone said.

Cappiello, who is studying to be an oncology nurse practitioner, is relieved something is finally being done.

"They've been asking to have it looked at for a while ... and it's reassuring that it's finally getting started," Cappiello said.

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