To confirm a true cancer cluster, epidemiologists must establish that there's a greater number of cancer cases than would be expected in a given population, based on their specific characteristics such as age, sex and geography, at a given time, Platz said. An investigation has . 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. But public health experts are cautioning against deeming the tumor cases a cancer cluster just yet. According to MyCentralJersey.com, the issue stems from legal concerns over the potential risk of offering a medical procedure with which municipal officials have no experience. "I'm not particularly concerned because it hasn't happened in quite some time. His condition was rare, but he was successfully treated. The cause of glioma, the tumor that occurs in the brain or spinal cord, is not known like most tumors, Mayo Clinic says. State Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichillisaid during the press conference a review of the cancer registry by health officials determined the expected number of primary brain tumors for Colonia students from 1968 to 2021 were 98 to 105 and among staff for that same timeframe were 13 to 14. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. Ultimately, if it isnt a radiation source that is causing these illnesses, Lupiano says other tests can be done to pinpoint a cause. While not technically cancer, these brain tumors can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. The work will be done in cooperation with Woodbridge School District. In 1999, when he was just 27, Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a "very rare" and abnormally large brain tumor for someone his age called Acoustic Neuroma (AN). Among the others diagnosed with brain cancer was Lupianos younger sister, who passed away from the disease in February at the age of 44. Phillips had surgery to remove the tumor on March 3 and entered physical, occupational and speech therapy soon after. Colonia High School Costello-Greiner Funeral Home - Woodbridge Sunday, January 1, 2023 Add Photos Add a Memory Sandra Wilson Sandra Wilson was born to Sarah Wilson and James Bradley on November. "Her four children are potentially being exposed to the same thing that killed their mother. "I talked to him a little bit and learned about what he had been working on," McCormactoldNew Jersey 101.5. His wife was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, and his sister was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. She worked for 16 years to help other rising nurses at Rutgers and RWJ Barnabas Health. Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? The analysis took several weeks. They will remain in place for 14 days before being sent to a lab for analysis. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. It is the type of brain tumor that Arizona Sen. John McCain died from in 2018. After his sisters death in February, Lupiano became convinced of a link between the Colonia campus and the brain cancers that he, his wife and his sister had developed. Back in March, Colonia High graduate Al Lupiano posted his theory about possible links between brain tumors diagnoses among 1990s and early 2000s graduates of Colonia High and since then, he gathered the names of at least 110 grads with brain tumors, according to Fox News Digital. Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. / CBS News. Were all concerned, and we all want to get to the bottom of this. . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The township and school district have had discussions and meetings with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the state Department of Health, the state Department of Environmental Protection and Rep. Frank Pallones office. Because cancer clusters are often suspected in very small subpopulations like neighborhoods, apartment buildings or homes on the same side of the street they can be very difficult to establish, Platz said. And we don't have the same major risk factors for brain cancer as we do for common cancer types, Platz said. Meanwhile, the TikTok video sparked panic and a range of conspiracy-theory style comments, with people claiming mold, toxic waste, asbestos and nearby cellphone towers could all be causing the cluster. An environmental assessment began last month to test the school grounds, which turned up no findings of radiological contaminants, according to NJ.com, a New Jersey news site. To his knowledge, there was nothing remotely dangerous at the site. Its overwhelming. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, glioblastoma has an incidence of3.21 per 100,000. (Google Maps). "While we have not yet determined if any contaminant is present, the only link up to this point is that everyone spent a significant amount of time at the school," Lupiano wrote in his Facebook post. Donavyn Coffey is a Kentucky-based health and environment journalist reporting on healthcare, food systems and anything you can CRISPR. Advertisement. (Gosselin Funeral Home) In August 2021, DeCillis received her diagnosis of Grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive, rare, and deadly form of brain cancer. Published on Apr 08, 2022 Al Lupiano and his wife, Michele, at their home in Jamesburg,. Age, exposure to radiation and family history are all risk factors. And that the children of this school, the faculty of this school and the parents and caregivers of these children and the people in and around this community they can have confidence, they can have confidence that this is a safe place.. (For example, smoking increases a person's risk of lung cancer.). At the end of the study we are either going to know if there is a problem linked to radiation or not, he said. There is one well documented cause of brain tumors radiation exposure," he continued. Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas has the latest as 100+ have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Like 6 Comments |. The number of reported victims has been growing since Al Lupiano, a former student in the 1980s and a cancer victim himself, appealed for names in a Facebook post on March 7. Earlier this year, 1989 Colonia High School graduate Al Lupiano developed a list of more than 120 people who were students, teachers or staff members at the school from the 1970s to 1990s. The study was to see if the area possibly had radiological contaminants that would contribute to diagnoses of brain cancers and other central nervous system tumors or disorders among these alumni, teachers and current students. Lupiano also spoke with CBS News on Thursday, saying he now believes ionizing radiation must be responsible for the health issues. "Today we are very happy to announce that our extensive testing for both radon and radiation, in the interior and exterior, of the school produced no evidence of any cancer-causing hazards that warrant further investigation," McCormac said. "It was clearly alarming enough that it merited further attention and I just helped him get that attention. An investigation has been launched after more than 100 people who attended a high school in New Jersey appeared to contract a rare cancer. The disturbing development came to the fore after one of the former students Al Lupiano - a cancer survivor - decided to untangle the mystery. "Dozens of people have asked me to help them find a way to have a brain scan since they have been having signs and symptoms something may be wrong, but due to lack of insurance or not being able to afford the deductible, have not been able to have an MRI scan," Lupiano wrote in a Facebook post. We've received your submission. #braincancer #glioblastoma #braintumor #radiation #medicalmystery #doctor. Lupiano also suggested a potential link between Colonia High School and a Middlesex, New Jersey, sampling plant in his interview with NJ Spotlight. Lupianowould liketheir investigators to come in over spring break so that students are not disturbed. Over 100 former students and staff from a New Jersey high school have been diagnosed with brain tumors. The devoted brother promised his sister on her deathbed that he would get to the bottom of what was causing the apparent cancer cluster at Colonia High. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. First published on April 25, 2022 / 10:26 AM. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, He, his wife and sister were among those who were diagnosed with brain tumors. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. It is possible that soil from the plant had been trucked to Colonia High School during its construction in 1967, NJ Spotlight reported. But where? A mystery in Colonia 94 people from 1 N.J. high school developed brain tumors. Lupiano began researching to see if other Woodbridge friends and family members had been diagnosed with brain tumors. Lupiano's quest for information took him to Facebook last month, and that list of people who went to or worked at Colonia High School - and have a primary brain tumor - is now closing in on 100 cases. Lupiano said. The last case was a while ago, like 2000," Kapadia said. The vast majority of those who have developed brain tumors graduated between 1975 and 2000, although outliers have come as recently as a 2014 graduate, according to the Star-Ledger. We are looking at possible things that we can do between the town and school, and they said they will look at anything we come up with, McCormac said. He's identifiedat least 65 people, including graduates and former staff who walked the halls of CHS from 1975 to 1995. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Wired UK, Popular Science and Youth Today, among others. also a graduate of the high school, died recently from brain cancer. If we dont find anything, we have to start looking at other potential candidates, whether its chemicals or something in the soil or air. "I have some lingering issues. But to date we dont have any environmental factors that are known to cause brain tumors.. After the testing ends, Lupiano said he and his supporters will be looking for a commitment by federal authorities for a conclusive investigation into whether something in the schools environment caused the brain tumors. According to NJ Spotlight News, McCormac has been contacted by at least five agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New Jersey Department of Health. He had developed 'rare' brain tumor some 20 years ago. No one knows why. "The rates are actually consistent in New Jersey with the United States," McGreevy said. Related: The 10 deadliest cancers, and why there's no cure. A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. In a memo to the school community, superintendent Joseph Massimino wrote, "Remote instruction is only available in the event of an active health crisis or emergency.". Al Lupiano is a Colonia High School graduate and environmental scientist who was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. There could be a real problem here, and our residents deserve to know if there are any dangers, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said in a statement. 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"It seems like in a little over a 20-year period to have 65 people on a list is somewhat alarming, it's quite alarming," said the mayor, who lives blocks away from Colonia High School, but added the link only appears to pertain to people who attended or worked at the high school. While the exact number of former faculty and staff diagnosed with glioblastoma is not precisely known, the cancer is exceedingly rare. Angela M. DeCillis, a Colonia High School graduate, Class of '95. All these photos are from AP and Getty publications, meaning they were used in a magazine or newspaper. Colonia graduate Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, was the first to sound the alarm about the potential cluster. His wife Michelle graduated in 1991. "There could be a real problem here, and our residents deserve to know if there are any dangers," Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said in a statement carried by the New York Post. In a statement to CBS News, Lupiano said he is "anxiously awaiting the results of the two-week-long radiological survey which concluded this weekend" and he anticipates he will receive the results in weeks. The community suspects a cancer cluster, and would like it investigated, and I think thats a very reasonable request. Notably, brain cancer is rarer than other cancers. More than 120 people who attended Colonia High School in New Jersey have been diagnosed with brain tumors. I dont think this is the end of the story. Brain cancer is rare, being detected in about one in 15,000 . And I know that wears on my brother-in-law, it wears on my parents. Out of roughly 10,000 people, having more than five dozen cases of brain tumors and cancers is far above the average. 100 families having to be told the terrible news. Dating back decades, newly detailed reports of more than 100 cases of brain tumors among former students and staff at Colonia High School in Woodbridge have raised obvious concerns. He thinks the cases stem from contaminated soil, but there's no data to prove that at this point. In a joint statement to CBS News, the New Jersey Department of Health and the state's Department of Environmental Protection said the agencies "are aware of the concerns raised by local residents, particularly as they relate to Colonia High School, and are partnering with Mayor McCormac and Woodbridge Township to better understand the issue and determine whether any relevant environmental exposure concerns are present at the site.". But as the study continues, a number of people in the community are looking for some kind of reassurance. But he made a promise to his late sister that he would find out. If it's an ongoing issue, we may have to go through this all over again in 10 to 20 years. Last year, his wife who also attended Colonia was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. He says if there is something going on, he worries about all of the people that would be impacted. In early March, Al Lupiano, 50, of Jamesburg, a 1989 Colonia High School graduate, posted on Facebook that his 44-year-old sister, Angela DeCillis, a 1995 Colonia High School graduate,died inFebruary from a rare,highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor on the left side of her brain, that had been diagnosed in August 2021. The viral TikTok video discussing the purported cancer cluster was posted Wednesday by popular personality Dr. Joe Whittington. Reports claim that more than 60 former students and staff of Colonia High School have been diagnosed with a rare brain tumor called . But the growing number of victims both alive and dead on the list dont constitute the evidence that public health experts need to determine that Colonia is a cancer cluster, said Dr. Cancer diagnosis: Detection, testing and research, Parasite found in cat poop linked to higher brain cancer risk in humans, Once-dreaded poliovirus could treat brain cancer. A consultant will be testing the grounds at Colonia High School, New Jersey, amid concerns that the school is linked to a high rate of rare brain cancers. "The only thing that could have happened, potentially, was fill that was brought in during construction. 55, for example, died from glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in 2016 after graduating in 1981. But public health experts are cautioning against deeming the tumor cases a "cancer cluster" just yet. Lupiano is wondering whether some of that soil ended up on the school grounds. "I hope the results come back with absolutely nothing," he said. The Township of Woodbridge, in cooperation with the Woodbridge Township School District, has taken the proactive initiative to contract with T&M and Cabrera Services, Inc., a nationally recognized radiological and environmental remediation company, to engage their team of environmentalists to begin collecting data at Colonia High School, the town said in a statement. He alleges that some contaminated soil was removed from the site when it closed down in 1967 the same year Colonia High School was built. McCormack said the town wants local and federal involvement in the investigation. But just because there is an investigation does not necessarily mean there's a cancer cluster, Platz told Live Science. Lupiano's sister, however, another Colonia alumnus, recently died from brain cancer -- and MyCentralJersey.com reports brother Al promised her before she died that he'd find out why the tumors were occurring in the specific community. Theres lots and lots of people calling me, saying, Look, I didnt go to the high school, but I live a mile away, and we call our block cancer alley,' said Lupiano. "We can get in there today and take air, water and soil samples and have results back the same day," Lupiano said. Twentyyears earlier, he was also diagnosed with an aggressive 36-millimeter acoustic neuroma. As a Rutgers University graduate with a major in environmental sciences and a minor inindustrial hygiene safety engineering, he's made a career of cleaning up unsafe sites. The township has filed an Open Public Records Act request with the state Department of Education to get files from 55 years ago when the school was built, the mayor said. Most radon exposure occurs inside homes, schools and workplaces. "It needs to be investigated, no questions asked," said Elizabeth A. Platz, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Middlesex Sampling Plant to Colonia High School in New Jersey. "With that in mind, and after many weeks of work, I was able to negotiate an agreement with BTF to provide this service completely FREE of charge.". Many of the former staff and teachers included in the total lived outside Woodbridge Township making the high school, so far, the only clear link. 89. In less than six weeks, Lupiano says, he has gathered the names of 94 people connected with the school who have developed brain tumors. Lupiano and McCormac have spoken to officials with the state Department of Health and thefederalAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. According to the National Cancer Institute, "cases of cancer can appear to cluster even when there is no connection among them." Because I dont think its right to say theres no threat to teachers and students if you didnt take a single soil or groundwater sample.. Is the type of brain tumor, in 2016 after graduating in 1981 who! 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