"In conclusion, the results of the radiological investigation at the high school and grounds are within the normal variation of background radiation levels in New Jersey and are therefore not indicative of concern over radiological exposure to individuals at the site," state DEP Commisioner Shawn LaTourette wrote in a letter to the township. And today we now stand at 117 individuals with primary brain tumors, and another 70 with very rare cancers.". The couple's neurologist was baffled. ", ALSO READ | Onlookers urged police to charge into TX school: 'Go in there! (Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media). After discovering 94 former students and staff from Colonia High School which was built in 1967 had been diagnosed with rare brain tumors, Dr. Joseph Massimino, superintendent of . The onset of brain tumors in more than one hundred people who attended or worked at Colonia High School in New Jersey has continued to baffle experts. All Rights Reserved. Woodbridge Township has contracted environmental engineering firm T&M Associates to carry out radiation tests at Colonia High School to investigate a possible link between the school and the reported brain tumors, according to New York news outlet WABC. My MIL died of lung cancer. CHS is the one link of all three of them. Komorek said the results of her testing indicate state environmental officials should conduct further tests of the air, soil and building compounds at Colonia. Luciano has reported his findings to Colonia High School. ', * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts, AccuWeather: AM showers before a mild afternoon, Extra Time: Breaking down massive NYC, NYPD settlement, Teammate facing charges in crash that killed local UGA player. He received his . Were all concerned, and we all want to get to the bottom of this. "The EPA and CDC are not testing at Colonia High School," said Hagerty. He started researching and made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. We have to really take a look at it," said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac. Environmental engineering firm T+M Associates has been contracted by the township to test for radiation on the grounds of the high school, which was built in 1967. They are testing the grounds outside and inside of the high school inside. He told WABC that he lost his wife Janice to an inoperable brain tumor 10 years ago and that her sister Cheryl died from brain cancer in 2015. "And if we do find something, we're going to deal with the consequences.". Lupiano, an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, believed it was a pattern. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac immediately and responsibly got engaged. What would you do if you went to the doctor, you arent feeling well, asked Matthew DeCillis, whose wife, Angela, died from a brain tumor in February. Listed on 2023-03-02. It's not air. Google Maps. That's a huge number for such a small region. T&M Associates subcontracted Cabrera Services Inc., a radiological environmental and remediation company, of East Hartford, Connecticut. After some digging, a man who attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, discovered more than 100 former students and staff members had been diagnosed with the same sort of brain tumor diagnosed in his wife, his sister and himself. There have been some outlier cases. An investigation into the possible link between Colonia High School and cancer found no radiological hazards that warranted further investigation. By pairing specialists and experts in the field of cancer with robust resources, facilities, and technologies, Hackensack Meridian Cancer Care is committed to getting patients back to the life they love. She also cautioned that additional toxins could be present at the school because she described her initial testing as very limited, meaning it did not include taking air samples or probing deep into the soil or groundwater. Sign up for Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com, this resolution approved at their April 5 meeting, Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says. WWE Star Sonya Deville Arrested In Atlantic City On Gun Charge, Atlantic City Official & Council Candidate Facing Assault Charge, Former Press of Atlantic City Office Building To Get New Purpose, Atlantic City Area Residents Share Favorite Childhood Memories, Atlantic City, NJ Mayor Leading Free Resident Credit Repair Effort, Atlantic City, NJ Area Great Hurricane Of 1944 (AMAZING PHOTOS), Atlantic Citys Chris Ford Proved That Nice Guys Finish First, NJ Author Discusses What We Can Do to Address Bullying in Schools. He is presently working with local officials to address the situation. In his first public comments on the matter, Murphy told reporters he is taking this issue "very seriously," but also cautioned: "I don't know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation," Murphy said, according to 101.5. Lupiano has spearheaded a public push for answers after he started a Facebook group focused on former Colonia students and the rare brain cancer, the outlet noted. He made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Robert Miller The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to. Several types of primary brain tumors, including cancerous forms like glioblastoma and noncancerous yet debilitating masses such as acoustic neuromas, haemangioblastomas and meningiomas, have been diagnosed, according to the outlet. Are you a Colonia High School graduate that has been diagnosed with a brain tumor? Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. His name is on it, along with his wife and late sister. Lupiano's sister passed away in February, 2022 at the young age of 44. Superintendent Joseph Massiminio the district worked with representatives from the state Department of Environmental Protection, the state Department of Health, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Disease Control, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to discuss the matter, and that national firms T&M Associates and Cabrera Services were tasked with collecting data and conducting the necessary tests. She also requested the district embark on additional environmental testing. A A. Accordingly, no further testing or remediation is required or recommended at this time. In May, the district and state announced an environmental assessment of all 28 acres in and around Colonia found no traces of radiological contaminants and the school was deemed safe for students and staff. It motivated Lupiano to create a Facebook group to determine if there were more Colonia High School alumni had developed brain tumors or other conditions. A comprehensive investigation of soil, indoor air, and groundwater shall be conducted to determine if children and staff are exposed to unhealthy levels of toxins other than already identified PCBs and pesticides., In his letter to the parents in the school district, Massimino wrote: Nothing in the newly reported information has any bearing on the prior studies which determined last spring that no radiation was found inside or outside of Colonia High School. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. That's what makes the numbers staggering," says Lupiano. 100 former students, staff of Colonia High School in New Jersey say they have rare brain tumors. Through his posts, Lupiano, CHS Class of 1989, wanted to find out if CHS is the cause of primary brain tumors that have affected more than 100 former students and staff. The mother of two Colonia High students who believed not enough environmental testing was done in the aftermath of reports of a possible brain tumor cluster connected to the school told NJ Advance . When a former student at Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, realized that he, his wife and his sister all had brain tumors, he wondered if something about their high. Listing for: Select Medical Corporation. Since . Newsweek has reached out to Colonia High School and McCormac. A few weeks ago, we very suddenly and tragically lost my 44-year-old sister Angela (CHS-95) to a very rare and highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor (Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)) discovered on her left side, he wrote in the newsletter. As of Thursday, Lupiano said he has confirmed 65 cases of people with rare brain tumors and they all are either Colonia High School graduates or had worked there, he says. Immediate action from our State and Federal agencies is warranted, Lupiano said. 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. An alumnus of Colonia High School in Woodbridege, N.J. is investigating his former high school, claiming he has counted 115 people who attended or worked there to have had a rare brain tumor, according to CBS News. The 50-year-old claims the diseases could be traced. More than 100 people who graduated from Colonia High School have developed brain cancer. But even more rare was the fact that his wife and sister later found out that they had similar medical conditions. Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . This is also great news for all former students who attended and staff to work at CHS since it opened back in 1968., McCormac said they sympathize with anyone who has experienced brain tumors and brain cancers, especially those who lost loved ones to the terrible disease, but there is no cause-and-effect relation between those illnesses and the buildings or grounds at CHS.. The reports he got back were startling, and he saw patterns emerging. "It's not something done to us due to bad habits, said Lupiano. The mother, Edyta Komorek, who has worked as an environmental scientist since 2006, said she collected dust, window caulk and soil samples from Colonia that tested for excessive levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide all carcinogenic compounds that can lead to cancer and other diseases. At that time, I only had 15 people on the list, and I decided after grieving for a few weeksit was time now to go public and ask people to help me.. Al Lupiano revealed he had a brain tumor 20 years ago, before his wife had one and so did his sister - who died in February aged just 44. ", "Just the sheer numbers of cases he's found is staggering," McCormac continued. ET: The spelling of Michele DeCillis has been corrected. "My wife fought like crazy. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," Lupiano said. Nearly 100 people attending a single high school in New Jersey have developed rare forms of brain cancer. But I want to be careful to say that it's very early in the investigation. I will not rest until I have answers. Lupiano told CBS News New York that"Fast forward to August of last year My sister received the news she had a primary brain tumor, herself. If you were affected or have a tumor or rare cancer, I need your assistance," his Facebook post read. BSN or must obtain within 3 years. Primary brain tumors are tumors that originate in the brain, as opposed to secondary tumors which start somewhere else and then spread to the brain. Nsikan runs the health and science desk at WNYC/Gothamist. I don't trust anyone who says that nuclear plant was safe. Facebook Colonia High School A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. I made a promise to my sister while she was dying that if something did this to us, I will find out what did it, Lupiano says. Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Please consider subscribing to NJ.com. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day, I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano is among 94 former students and staff from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, who have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors. A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. Lupiano, his wife Michele (CHS Class of 1991) and his sister Angela (CHS Class of 1995) were all diagnosed with rare, similar sized brain tumors on the left side. So, would . Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. The New Jersey state Department of Health. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals.. "I had told my sister from the very beginning that there was too much of a coincidence that me, my wife and her all have the same tumor," he said. While Lupianos wife Michele is still undergoing treatment, his sister Angela died in February, just months after her diagnosis. "When I started looking into it, I quickly amassed 15 of our classmates with these rare brain tumors," he told NewsNation. Lupiano started researching. Phil Murphy was asked by reporters for his thoughts on the possible brain cancer cluster at Colonia High. The testers are specifically testing for radon levels in the air after 1989 Colonia High School grad Al Lupiano proposed this theory that he found an unusually high number of brain. Colonia High School: Environmentalists determining possible link between New Jersey school and brain tumors - ABC7 Chicago tumor Former students wonder if their brain tumors are. "They are working with the Township to review the test findings and prepare a course of action if necessary.". You can find glioblastoma, which are terminal. The institute predicts about 290,000 people will develop breast cancer in 2022 compared to 25,000 for brain cancer. Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? But according to the new results, the school currently poses no danger. 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. Part Time, Per diem position. Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. Alumni links 65 rare brain tumor cases to NJ high school, investigation launched. Donate today, Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. "I am beyond pleased to announce that after an extensive field investigation that included assessing the classrooms, school building materials, and the entire 28 acres of the Colonia High School campus, no radiological hazards were identified that warrant further investigation," he wrote in a letter to families. 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