(Yicai) Nov. 10 -- The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in China’s Guangzhou has confirmed that three people who worked and studied at the laboratory of its breast cancer center were diagnosed with cancer, after rumors claimed a breast surgery team was affected by the lab’s environment.

Two of the people studied in the lab of the breast cancer center for a doctoral degree and then entered a breast surgery department engaged in clinical work, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital announced on Nov. 8. The third person studied at the hospital and lab of the breast cancer center for a year and left Guangzhou in April last year, the medical institution added, noting that all three are around 30 years old.

Several members of a team of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, composed of three doctors and a post-doctoral student under 30 years old led by Professor Su, were diagnosed with rare forms of cancer, after being affected by the experimental environment and reagents of the breast cancer center, according to rumors circulating online on Nov. 7. The lab studies cancer development mechanisms by creating cancer animal models with cancer-promoting agents.

A rigorous and professional medical investigation is needed to prove whether the cancers of the three people mentioned by the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital are related to the lab environment, the China Association for Science and Technology said. Regulatory authorities will check the laboratory environment as soon as possible, especially the “high-risk” laboratory conditions in the fields of biology, medicine, and chemistry, the CAST added.

Yicai learned that the three people were conducting scientific research in the lab under Song Erwei, president of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital and head of its breast cancer center. But Song’s nameplate on the lab door appears to have been removed, and no one has been recently seen working inside.

According to some rumors, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital’s breast cancer lab has been dismantled. However, some sources at the hospital claim that the lab is closed for a fire inspection. The lab opened in 2009, and over 200 students have trained there since then.

One of the three people was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, according to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital.

A source told Yicai that the person, a male, discovered the cancer last year, which was initially benign. But it was later found to have invaded the vertebral body, so it had to undergo surgery in June, the source added, noting that he still works at the hospital.

“Nobody wants to talk about these things anymore,” the source said.

Editor: Futura Costaglione