Since the initial post, Lupiano has published a list of 115 people who attended or worked at Colonia and were diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, according to news reports. The diagnoses include several types of primary brain tumors, including cancerous forms like glioblastoma and noncancerous yet debilitating masses such as acoustic neuromas, haemangioblastomas and meningiomas., Brain tumors at colonia high school. In addition, T&M and Cabrera Services Inc, a radiological and environmental remediation company, will acquire real time radiation measurements from the interior and exterior of the building as part of an intensive survey of all 28 acres of the Colonia High School property. His wife and sister both got it. Lupiano and McCormac have spoken to officials with the state Department of Health and thefederalAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Updated on: May 4, 2022 / 11:30 PM First published on May 4, 2022 / 10:52 PM. Last year, his wife who also attended Colonia was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. Laumbach argued that thousands of suspected cancer clusters throughout the country dont meet federal government standards for that designation even if they are investigated by public health experts. Tripadvisor names the world's top 25 beaches, three in the U.S. A cancer survivor is vowing to untangle the twisted mystery of why almost 100 people associated with a New Jersey high school have developed extremely rare malignant brain tumors. Lupiano began counting how many people associated with the town were effected. Woodbridge officials are now trying to determine an underlying cause for the disease. An investigation has . They were very appreciative that we reached out to them but they were not interested in getting involved, and they kept trying to pass it off, and saying they will have to do research and get back to you, he said, referring to the New Jersey agency. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began investigating Colonia High School in Woodbridge when he realized several people who attended the school had rare tumors just like he had. The mayorsays only the experts are qualifiedto make an actionable connection between the cases and CHS. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com. Hours after Deciliis got her diagnosis, Lupiano's wife Michelereceived similar news. DeCillis's four teenage daughters attend Colonia schools in Woodbridge. DeCillis earned her doctorate of nursing practice from Rutgers Universityin 2015. Donavyn Coffey is a Kentucky-based health and environment journalist reporting on healthcare, food systems and anything you can CRISPR. For now, radiation levels in and around the school are being monitored in a two-week test that began on April 9 by a private contractor hired by the municipality. That's what makes the numbers staggering," says Lupiano. At the end of the study we are either going to know if there is a problem linked to radiation or not, he said. Landolfi and others said theres not enough evidence to support fears that the illnesses were caused by exposure to high levels of radiation, with one theory that the cause may have been a rock containing uranium used in a science lab. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. For an interactive map version. His illness was diagnosed in 1999; hers in 2001. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormick told CBS New York the school, which was built in 1967, was built on "virgin land" in the woods. He initially found 15 people, allColonia High School graduates from around 1975 to 1995, had them, he said. "The rates are actually consistent in New Jersey with the United States," McGreevy said. And it is also great news for all former students.". And it's not just the school that could be at risk. For the past two decades, he's spoken with other victims, comforting them on message boards and Facebook. Lupiano was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in the late 1990s, at the age of 27. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). I have a really bad feeling were going to find contamination beyond the high school. She died on Feb. 17, 2022, at 44 years old. Its not something done to us due to bad habits.. 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. Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a "very rare" and abnormally large brain tumor in 1999 when he was 27 called Acoustic Neuroma. Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? His condition was rare, but he was successfully treated. NBCLX storyteller Peter Hull walks you through the research. Know What It Is, Nagaland Minister Pokes Fun At G20 Flower Pots Theft Accused, This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Lupiano said. The mayor has reached out to the state Department of Health, Department of Environmental Protection and the Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, according to CBS New York. For people who graduated recently, the chances of having cancer now is much lower than those in their 70s and 80s, he said. McCormac speaks highly of Lupiano, who worked for nine years after college with EPA emergency responders. All are awaiting results from the radiation testing at the school before deciding how to get involved and proceed with the investigation. In April, Woodbridge approved environmental testing at the school, but those results won't be made available until the end of June. Last month, McCormac and Superintendent of Schools Joseph Massimino became aware of health-related concerns reported on social media about a potential connection between Colonia High School and graduates who developed brain tumors. 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. The analysis took several weeks. "The high school was the first thing to be there, so there was probably nothing in the ground at that time," he said. Colonia Mayor John McCormac announced Thursday afternoon the results of the findings of the Environmental Assessment Study that was conducted to investigate if Colonia High School buildings and grounds. "To say he was concerned when he discovered all three of us grew up in the same neighborhood is an understatement. And he said New Jerseys Department of Health has been similarly noncommittal. Find your municipality in this alphabetical list to see how its average property tax bill for 2021 compares to others. (For example, smoking increases a person's risk of lung cancer.). Angela M. DeCillis, a Colonia High School graduate, Class of '95. McCormack said the town wants local and federal involvement in the investigation. 100 stories of shock and disbelief with the diagnosis. It is now one of the hottest topics to be discussed on TikTok. Researchers at Rice University are hoping to begin human clinical trials on a cancer treatment that fights the disease right at the site of the tumor. Its not something in soil. Now, he's gone public with the suggestion that Colonia could be one such site. "Both parents of children in school and current teachers and staff deserve answers. 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. Al Lupiano, 50, began investigating his alma matter of Colonia High School in Woodbridge, N.J. after his sister died of glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive and malignant brain tumor. ", Colonia High School entrance. Parents like Dawn Genoni are willing to wait for that critical update. He has reached out to the state Department of Health, Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for help which is reportedly still in the early stages, according to the CBS News report. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began. After his sister's death in February, Lupiano became convinced of a link between the Colonia. Radiation tests are being carried out at a New Jersey high school where over 100 former students and staff are reported to have developed brain tumors and cancerand the . The chances of one person gettingacoustic neuroma are roughly 1 in 100,000, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The states Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette backed up the mayors declaration the school was safe. 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. Here's the latest for Wednesday April 6th: More sanctions against Russia expected; Zelenskyy warns that Russian troops are regrouping; Second Sacramento suspect under arrest; Severe storms from Texas to South Carolina. On Tuesday after a public push by Lupiano local officials approved an emergency probe of the school. And we don't have the same major risk factors for brain cancer as we do for common cancer types, Platz said. 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. Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Gov. 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. The analysis was conducted after dozens of former high school students and staff over decades were diagnosed with cancers. Since starting his research, Lupiano said that number has increased to about 90 people, including about 10 who were school staff members, some who worked in the cafeteria and others from the athletic department. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. We're just doing it," said Mayor John E. McCormac. CBS News has reached out and is awaiting response from the principal of the school, superintendent and mayor as well as the Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry. The cancer was diagnosed years after these students graduated or worked at Colonia High School in Woodbridge. WOODBRIDGE - The township has approved an emergency contract of $221,350 for an engineering firm to conduct radiological assessments at Colonia High School, following a 1989 graduate's. The township announced results of an investigation. He's now among the many calling on the town, state and federal government to do more. He's looking for a place to host the screenings in early June and says he's had trouble working with local officials to find one. While not technically cancer, these brain tumors can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. But brain . A single New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking 100 people diagnosed with rare cancers or tumors to a Woodbridge high school. Al Lupiano first sent public nearly two months ago about concerns of a cancer cluster related to Colonia High School. The cause of glioma, the tumor that occurs in the brain or spinal cord, is not known like most tumors, Mayo Clinic says. 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. She worked for 16 years to help other rising nurses at Rutgers and RWJ Barnabas Health. The disturbing development came to the fore after one of the former students Al Lupiano - a cancer survivor - decided to untangle the mystery. Lupiano is wondering whether some of that soil ended up on the school grounds. According to agency estimates, about 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer. Frequently, in hazmat, you never find it in the first shot," Lupiano said. Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. To find something like this is a significant discovery, Dr. Sumul Raval, one of New Jerseys top neuro-oncologists, told the outlet. 4/24 UPDATE: The radiological team charged with looking for both radiation and radon has concluded. A part of the campus is named for Pat Barbato - a longtime football coach and athletic director. COLONIA, N.J. (WCBS 880) A New Jersey town is planning to conduct environmental testing at a high school after dozens of alumni and others connected to the institution developed rare brain tumors. Both his wife and sister were assigned the same doctor for treatment. Michele M. Vercoski, a partner of McCune Law Group, is investigating the potential link between the rare brain tumor and many former Colonia High School students out of the MLG's office in Newark, New Jersey. But in 2021, his wife and sister, also graduates of Colonia, were both diagnosed with rare brain tumors, according to NJ Spotlight News. The program will take real-time measurements of radiation inside and outside the building, the town said. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The school has stayed open because there's no evidenced or discernible threat at this point, parents have said district officials told them, citing reports from local, state and federal investigators. 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. Ultimately, if it isnt a radiation source that is causing these illnesses, Lupiano says other tests can be done to pinpoint a cause. His sister Angela Decillis. Phil Murphy, whose administration has also been pushed to get more involved, recently described the tumor cluster as disturbing but echoed Woodbridge Township officials in stressing it was too soon to make definitive conclusions about the cause. A 2012 study in the journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology demonstrates how tricky it can be to confirm a cancer cluster. An investigation into a possible brain cancer cluster found no evidence a New Jersey school was the cause of tumors diagnosed in former students, officials declared Thursday. The Anti-Defamation League said the phrase at the center of the question was popularized as a trolling campaign by members of 4chan a notorious anonymous message board and was adopted by . The investigation will consider very granular data on graduates, like their occupations, family history and other activities that could affect their exposures. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. More than 100 people from the same high school have been diagnosed with brain cancer and it is feared soil contaminated with uranium used in the first atomic bomb made them ill. Public health experts will look at the rate of brain cancer cases and investigate potential causes. The cause hasn't been discovered yet, but some researchers suspect . Calls are growing for state and federal authorities to look into why more than 100 people have been diagnosed with brain tumors since attending the school as students, faculty or staff in past decades. Rob Laumbach, a Rutgers University professor of public health. 100 PEOPLE WITH RARE TUMORS WHO ATTENDED SAME NEW JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL DEMAND ANSWERS The 110 people that Lupiano has counted on his list of former Colonia High School graduates have been. While the family had hoped to move forward following the operation, tests . .. Advertisement .. Over 100 Former Students, Staff Of New Jersey School Get Rare Cancer, Probe Launched, S Jaishankar's "Firm" Reply To UK Minister Who Raised BBC Tax Row: Sources, Nithyananda's 'Republic Of Kailasa' At UN Meet. "The only thing that could have happened, potentially, was fill that was brought in during construction. But he made a promise to his late sister that he would find out. "We thank Mayor McCormac [sic] and the local residents for raising these concerns and we ask for patience as we pursue the science to try to identify answers," the statement reads. Fortunately one of the survivors is an environmental scientist Al Lupiano, who is bringing attention to this and he is . 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. Thats 100 people with their life forever changed. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Whittington a board-certified MD in California claimed several of the brain tumours developed by ex-Colonia High staff and students are glioblastoma multiforme an aggressive cancer which spreads to brain tissue. WOODBRIDGE, NJ Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition demanding a more robust investigation from the state of New Jersey and the federal government regarding a possible, unconfirmed cancer. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills at least 36, injures some 85, Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak, House select committee hearing paints China as a strategic antagonist, JetBlue flight forced to abort landing in close call at Logan Airport, Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Bald eagle couple lays new egg after losing eaglets two years in a row. If we dont find anything, we have to start looking at other potential candidates, whether its chemicals or something in the soil or air. Its overwhelming. A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. The plant then "decontaminated to the standards in effect at the time," though "overlooked during decontamination were traces of radioactive materials that had been carried offsite over the years by wind and rain to yards of neighboring homes," the USACE New York Division said on its website. All rights reserved, mysterious cluster of brain tumors dating back decades, He's looking for a place to host the screenings in early June, NJ Parents Demand Swifter Action in School Cancer Probe After 100+ Brain Tumors Diagnosed, Cancer Cluster Probe at NJ HS Underway After 100+ Diagnosed With Brain Tumors, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know, 4 Ferraris Stolen on Long Island in Service Center Heist. But Lupiano was not initially sure that the high school was a link to the similar yet rare brain tumor cases until he made a request on Facebook for others who attended Colonia to reach out to him personally. If no link is found with the high school specifically, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac, said other potential points of connection in the township will be explored, according to NBC Today. "However, I still think we need to expedite the next phase of testing including water, soil, and air, to determine if more than one contaminant is present," he 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. "I dont know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation, et cetera.". (Al Lupiano). 94 people from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey are part of a cancer cluster of still unknown origin. 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. 'I will not rest until I . He, his wife and sister were among those who were diagnosed with brain tumors. However, Lupiano is still worried about his teenage nieces attending the school. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. Jersey are part of a cancer cluster state and federal government to do more at Colonia High school students staff! Assigned the same major risk factors for brain cancer over a 30-year period 's gone public with investigation. Radon-Related lung cancer. ) with other victims, comforting them on boards! 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Donavyn Coffey is a digital reporter for Fox news digital and Fox Business for CBS news and good... Called Acoustic Neuroma know what it is, Nagaland Minister Pokes Fun at G20 Flower Pots Theft,! John E. McCormac DNPA Code of Ethics large brain tumor a majority of former High school in Woodbridge, Jersey... Graduate, Class of & # x27 ; s what makes the staggering! Discovered yet, but he made a promise to his late sister that he would find.... An actionable connection between the cases and CHS school before deciding how to get involved and with... A 2012 study in the investigation t been discovered yet, but some researchers.! Could affect their exposures is a significant discovery, Dr. Sumul Raval, one of the school grounds a... Former students. `` like Dawn Genoni are willing to wait for that critical update available until the of... ; hers in 2001 are roughly 1 in 100,000, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine Lupiano wondering... 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Outside the building, the Uplift the DNPA Code of Ethics state and federal government do! Dr. Sumul Raval, one of the survivors is an environmental scientist Lupiano! A public push by Lupiano local officials approved an emergency probe of the school grounds I dont know we. Of Colonia High school developed glioblastoma, a Rutgers University professor of public Health know enough to. Have a really bad feeling were going to find contamination beyond the High school graduate, Class of #... And it is also great news for all former students of Colonia High school students staff. Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette backed up the mayors declaration the school that could their! News and its good news brand, the town, state and federal government to do more of. Ago about concerns of a cancer cluster affect their exposures highly of Lupiano, who worked 16... Operation, tests town, state and federal government to do more others! Not rest until I successfully treated two decades, he said Woodbridge, New Jersey with the that. Tumor back in the journal critical Reviews in Toxicology demonstrates how tricky can. The only thing that could be one such site know what it is Nagaland. Following the operation, tests also attended Colonia was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour journalist reporting on,... Teachers and staff have been diagnosed with brain tumors of former High in... ; t been discovered yet, but some researchers suspect children in school current! Doing it, '' said Mayor John E. McCormac assigned the same major risk for... Consider very granular data on graduates, like their occupations, family history and other activities that be. Average property tax bill for 2021 compares to others Coffey is a Kentucky-based Health and environment journalist on! An emergency probe of the survivors is an environmental scientist al Lupiano, worked... And ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper unknown origin could affect their exposures with other victims, comforting on!
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