Any finding that an outbreak of cancer in a specific location warrants the label cluster would rely on the elimination of possible causes that include the age of patients, the type of cancer, and how the number of cases compares with the incidence of the disease in the general population, they said. "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. A Colonia High School alum said he found 107 people with brain tumors who went to or worked at the school. 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. The authorities will be conducting radiological assessments across the school's 28-acre campus, including the testing of indoor air samples for radon. While not technically cancer, these brain tumors can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. He has continued to update followers on social media and on Thursday, said the list stood at 115 people who had either malignant or benign tumors. Only 72 of the suspected cancer clusters were confirmed to have an increased incidence of cancer within the cluster. "Both parents of children in school and current teachers and staff deserve answers. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff over a 30-year period have been diagnosed with cancer and local parents say the information they're getting on the investigation. "I don't know what the cause is," Lupiano said. Know What It Is, Nagaland Minister Pokes Fun At G20 Flower Pots Theft Accused, This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. (Gosselin Funeral Home) In August 2021, DeCillis received . 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. 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.. McCormac, who lives three blocks from Colonia High School,is not yet convinced of a link. Robert Miller The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to. His wife. In other words, they will need to prove by statistical analysis that more Colonia staff and graduates developed brain cancer than people with their same characteristics (age, sex, location) over the same time. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "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. (For example, smoking increases a person's risk of lung cancer.). 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. He had developed 'rare' brain tumor some 20 years ago. There are noeasily available records from the land before CHS was built in 1967, according to McCormac. Last month, he started a Facebook group asking locals whether they knew of any other people associated with the school who had been stricken by similar diagnoses. Now, an investigation is underway to determine if the school Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey is linked with a cancer cluster. 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. For the Lupianos, they believe the chances of all three of them having tumors on the left sides of their brains were too high to be a coincidence. "It was clearly alarming enough that it merited further attention and I just helped him get that attention. "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. Lupiano said. McCormac speaks highly of Lupiano, who worked for nine years after college with EPA emergency responders. His sister had recently died of cancer. "I have some lingering issues. Last year, his wife who also attended Colonia was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. It's due to concerns tied to graduates or staff members with brain tumors. 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. Lupiano was diagnosed in 1999 with a benign tumor known as Acoustic Neuroma. / CBS News. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. He accused the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry of being unresponsive to his calls for a formal probe. Last summer, Lupiano's wife and now-deceased sister were diagnosed with rare brain tumors on the same day. Last year, his sister who also went to the school found out she had a primary brain tumor, which turned out to be stage 4 glioblastoma, he told CBS New York. "We got the state and federal agencies involved, and we're starting some testing of the grounds and the air this weekend," McCormac said. An MRI revealed Michele had a 30-millimeter acoustic neuroma, another raretype of brain tumor that develops on the nerves leading to the inner ear. 2023 NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Brain tumor victims urge federal and state authorities to probe possible link with school. There is one well documented cause of brain tumors radiation exposure," he continued. It "was an entry point for African uranium ores known as pitchblende" that were "imported for use in the nations early atomic energy program, were assayed at the Middlesex Sampling Plant and then shipped to other sites for processing," according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York Division. A A. Gov. Colonia High School is now the subject of radiation detecting. Lupiano was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in the late 1990s, at the age of 27. America today woke up to the news that brain cancer has been detected in more than 100 former students at a New Jersey high school. All rights reserved. Tripadvisor names the world's top 25 beaches, three in the U.S. 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.". Check the photos below. Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. To his knowledge, there was nothing remotely dangerous at the site. for 7-year-old's rare brain cancer. or redistributed. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, glioblastoma has an incidence of3.21 per 100,000. Immediately I knew exactly what I was looking at. 100 families having to be told the terrible news. also a graduate of the high school, died recently from brain cancer. (Exposure to certain types of radiation can increase the risk of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.) What It Said, "Playing For Country": Gavaskar Blasts Gill For Calling Physio Mid-Over, Inside "World's Most Ultra-Luxury Resort", At $100,000 A Night, "I'm Not Their Target, You": Manish Sisodia's Resignation Letter, Video: Delhi Building's Dramatic Collapse After Fire, "Will Continue To Impose Sanctions On Russia": US Treasury Secretary, Chicago's 1st Openly Gay, Black Woman Mayor Loses Re-Election, Will Blow Up Mukesh Ambani, Amitabh Bachchan Bungalows, Caller To Cops, Think Tank CPR's Foreign Funding Licence Halted: "Will Explore Recourse", F1 Legend Jenson Button Breaks Guinness World Record. "Al has presented enough evidence that warrants further attention, but we have to rely on the experts to draw their conclusions.". Lupiano says he has a solution, that he's negotiated with the Manhattan-based Brain Tumor Foundation to provide free MRI brain screenings to anyone who may want one. I'm still helping him get more attention.". 'I will not rest until I . Lupiano also spoke with CBS News on Thursday, saying he now believes ionizing radiation must be responsible for the health issues. And it is also great news for all former students.". Parents like Dawn Genoni are willing to wait for that critical update. Its way too early to call it a cancer cluster, said Dr. Joseph Landolfi, chief medical officer at JFK Medical Center in Edison, and its director of neuro-oncology. His wife was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, and his sister was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. You can reach him at [email protected]. The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to the school had a primary brain tumor and another 75 were diagnosed with other rare forms of cancer, according to NJ.com. One parent told the outlet she doesnt think the probe did enough testing because it didnt take water or soil samples. (Al Lupiano), "[A]s of midnight Sunday 4/10, I recorded the 100th case of someone having a primary brain tumor," Luapiano said in an update on his Faceboook post. The four-year high school has more than 1,300 students. But in 2021, his wife and sister, also graduates of Colonia, were both diagnosed with rare brain tumors, according to NJ Spotlight News. I still dont know what Im going to do with my kids, Komorek told NJ.com. Most radon exposure occurs inside homes, schools and workplaces. Colonia graduate Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, was the first to sound the alarm about the potential cluster. His wife was similarly diagnosed with an abnormally large AN tumor, and his sister was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), which has an incident rate of 30 out of every 1 million people, Lupiano explained in a Facebook post that he has been updating since March 7. Unlike lab experiments, which can be tightly controlled, epidemiology and public health studies are often based on observations; as such, the answers can be incomplete or unsatisfying, Platz said. / CBS New York. WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, . ", In an earlier update, Lupiano said many of those who reached out to him about their brain tumor or cancer cases "are former CHS teachers and staff members who didnt live in Colonia, they just worked in the school. The community suspects a cancer cluster, and would like it investigated, and I think thats a very reasonable request. WOODBRIDGE A New Jersey man is on amission to find a link between rare braintumors inmore than 60 graduates and former staff at Colonia High School, including his wife and late sister. And over the last 18 years, Lupiano has worked forMarine Spill Response Corp. Like 6 Comments |. 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. Starting this weekend, various radiological assessments will be conducted across the schools 28-acre campus, including the testing of indoor air samples for radon. Dangerous drunk driving in South Brunswick, NJ cops nearly hit, Perth Amboy, NJ super rebukes teachers union for urging student walkout, Student walkout, protest planned after Perth Amboy NJ fifth-grader stabbed, Driver flees on foot after crash kills East Windsor, NJ mom, NJ man giving massages groped women at Plainsboro gym, cops say, Perth Amboy after school stabbing leaves 11-year-old hurt, child in custody, As NJ councilwoman is laid to rest, many questions about her execution-style slaying, New Brunswick, NJ burglar repeatedly confronted by residents, Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and EEO Report. "As previously stated, there is basically one medically proven cause of rare brain tumors like ours radiation," he wrote. Many more came forward after the posting, and by Thursday, the number had grown to 103, Lupiano told NJ Spotlight News. 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. 89. Frequently, in hazmat, you never find it in the first shot," Lupiano said. Lupiano launched the bid after his sister passed away from the disease and his wife too was diagnosed with the exact same form of aggressive tumour glioblastoma. For an interactive map version. Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . A 2012 study in the journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology demonstrates how tricky it can be to confirm a cancer cluster. Advocates for an official investigation into fears of a "cancer cluster" at the Middlesex County high school say there are parallels to the notorious water system contamination in the Ocean County town that was blamed for more than 130 cases of childhood cancer in the 1990s. What I find alarming is theres truly only one environmental link to primary brain tumors, and thats ionizing radiation, he declared. "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.". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 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. Without analyzing the data herself, Platz said shes not able to estimate how many of the 15,000 people who have gone through Colonia High in the past 30 years would need to have developed cancer for it to be considered a cluster. It may be that once someone is diagnosed with cancer, they are more likely to take note of other cancer diagnoses or more likely to have conversations about cancer and realize their connections to other cancer patients, Platz said. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Schools Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says A scientist's theory that a contaminant at the Woodbridge school is linked to 65 rare brain tumors is being taken . "The high school was the first thing to be there, so there was probably nothing in the ground at that time," he said. Lupiano began counting how many people associated with the town were effected. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor," Lupiano said. There has been plenty of inventions and history made in New Jersey. Lupiano began researching to see if other Woodbridge friends and family members had been diagnosed with brain tumors. Email tips [email protected] or on Twitter at @audpants. A copy of Lupianos list, with the names and phone numbers of victims redacted, includes some who, like Lupiano himself, graduated decades ago. Phillips had surgery to remove the tumor on March 3 and entered physical, occupational and speech therapy soon after. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. That decades-long stretch ended in the early 2000s, but recent. 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. Published on Apr 08, 2022 Al Lupiano and his wife, Michele, at their home in Jamesburg,. Lupiano eventually arrived at a single linking factor between himself, his wife and his sister: they each attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge in the 1990s. Lupianowould liketheir investigators to come in over spring break so that students are not disturbed. The environmental engineering firm T+M Associates was. 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. DeCillis passed away at the age of 44 from a rare form of brain cancer. Its not contaminated water. Colonia High School Officials conduct a radiological survey on the school's baseball field. And it's not just the school that could be at risk. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. In the United States, the rate of new cases of brain cancer or other nervous system cancer is 6.3 cases per 100,000 people per year, according to the National Institutes of Health. At their Home in Jamesburg, Woodbridge school by a consultant for the health issues Angele DeCillis Reviews in demonstrates. Their Home in Jamesburg, former students. `` potential cluster summer, Lupiano has worked forMarine Spill Response like... Tumors like ours radiation, he declared in August 2021, DeCillis received now the subject of radiation can the! Exposure, '' he continued of cancer, according to the National cancer Institute )! @ fox.com or on Twitter at @ audpants 7-year-old & # x27 ; I will not until... Data provided by Refinitiv Lipper victims urge federal and state authorities to probe possible link with school the 18... 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