Most catfish pulled from South River have cancerous tumors

Nearly two-thirds of catfish pulled from the South River last spring and tested had cancerous tumors, but researchers still don't know the cause, according to a study made public yesterday.

Of the 30 brown bullheads tested, 19 had cancer. Of those, 13 had cancerous growths on their skin, three had liver cancer and three had both liver and skin cancer.

Researchers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who were sampling yellow perch in the upper reaches of the river last spring noticed unusual growths on the mouths of several brown bullhead catfish. The service arranged to catch 30 adult catfish just south of the spot where...