Nearly 100 Former Students and Staff From Colonia High School Develop Brain Tumors Trng Vng High School. Some depend on the type of exposure, others unleash carcinogenesis only in people with the right genetic predisposition. 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. About one in three people will develop cancer over a lifetime, and one in five will die from it. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. Even more troubling? But some still want more. Something is wrong here, he said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a true cancer cluster must be a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases of the same type of cancer or those proven to have the same cause, within a specific population over a set time. We have to really take a look at it, said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac to ABC 7. Scientists and health activists say the governments current response to disease clusters ranges from piecemeal to nonexistent.. Colonia High School is located in Colonia, New Jersey. Others we choose exposure to: alcohol, tobacco, processed meat, tanning beds. 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 who have . America today woke up to the news that brain cancer has been detected in more than 100 former students at a New Jersey . Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . Radiological assessments will be conducted throughout the . 89. Follow Joe on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. So, if not the neighborhood, what was the link? Al Lupiano, a graduate of Colonia High School, tells Fox News Digital that since posting his theory about an apparent link between brain tumor diagnoses in 1990s and early 2000s graduates of . The soil sample also contained some pesticides. There could be a real problem here, and our residents deserve to know if there are any dangers, Woodbridges mayor, John McCormac, said in April. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 02:45 PM EST. (In one scientific review of 428 cancer cluster investigations over 21 years, for example, just one in eight cases was a confirmed increase in cancer, and only one investigation revealed a definitive source.). By Ed Browne On 4/25/22 at 11:00 AM EDT. Komorek, who was hesitant about having her children, a junior and a freshman, at the high school, transferred them to another district school this week. A New Jersey town is planning to conduct environmental testing at Colonia High School after a resident discovered dozens of people connected to the school had developed rare brain tumors. Wish me luck! McCormac said the investigation found "no cause and effect relationship between those illnesses and the building or grounds at Colonia High School." Kate McGreevy, an epidemiologist from the New Jersey Department of . More like this: Online High School 12 /r . Lupianos Facebook post initially read, Calling all Colonia High School (CHS) alumniI am in urgent need of your help!. Cancer survivor Al Lupiano says more than 100 former Colonia High School attendees have been diagnosed with rare cancers on 'Cross Country.'#FoxNews #CrossCo. When the state health department calculated the number of brain and other nervous system tumors that would be expected among the cohort of students and staff from 1968 to 2021, it concluded it could be up to 120 individuals just slightly under Mr. Lupianos count of about 125 (though he believes his tally is an undercount). according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York Division. My wife fought like crazy. "Every inch of Colonia High School from buildings to fields is being tested for radiation to determine if there is a link between the school and the number of cancer cases . Edyta Komorek, an environmental scientist and parent with two children enrolled at the school, met on Monday with Superintendent of Schools Joseph Massimino, Colonia High School Principal Kenneth Pace and the president of the Woodbridge Township Education Association to discuss findings of some testing she had done at the school. WOODBRIDGE Environmental testing earlier this year indicating there were no radiological hazards at Colonia High School, despite a growing list of former students who had developed brain cancers, wasn't enough to convince one mother that more testing shouldn't be done. Secondary brain tumors, which originate elsewhere in the body and then spread to the brain, are more common. Among other things, the law calls for periodic updates to federal cluster investigation guidelines work that the C.D.C., compelled by the legislation, began in 2018. I have a really bad feeling we're going to find contamination beyond the high school. Based on our information regarding the rock, and the surveys conducted of our staff, we are confident that it is safe for the children to return to school. I want someone else to go to.". In the '90s, the high school had another scare, this time on a much smaller scale that was ultimately ruled out as a possible concern. Some people will not be convinced.. All three had attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge, in central New Jersey, and soon enough, Mr. Lupiano began asking on Facebook and on a local news site if any other graduates had similar diagnoses. We need an investigation! McCormac said both commissioners acknowledged they received the township's email and he hopes to hear back from them soon. If you were affected or have a tumor or rare cancer, I need your assistance. I have requested a discussion with the Department of Health, and if need be, we can involve the Federal agencies. I will not rest until I find the answer! So it's not unheard of. People move in and out of town. Angela died from it. Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Why Al Lupiano raised alarm over Colonia HS cancer links Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? On May 26, Mayor McCormac and state environmental and public health officials held a news conference in the high schools gymnasium to share their final determination: There was no indication of any potential radiological hazards that would warrant further inquiry. All rights reserved. But, according to the Change.org petition launched Tuesday, complete results aren't even anticipated to be received until the end of May. All rights reserved. But she hopes the district will do more research. $9 Million Contract from National Cancer Institute Awarded for NJ State Cancer Registry. And suddenly, it hit me! Parents like Dawn Genoni are willing to wait for those results -- at least at the time Genoni spoke to News 4 last month. Lng Th Vinh High School. "Nothing indicates that the school building or property is unsafe," he added. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 11:29 AM EST. When childrens health and lives are at stake, we have a right to demand your full attention and transparency.". Why Al Lupiano raised alarm over Colonia HS cancer links, Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? Find Us . Aside from being the home of the NHL's NJ Devils, they also attract major music acts ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Fall Out Boy to Justin Bieber. Its very hard to pinpoint what it is that initiated that process.. Further explanation of what occurred at that high school over these decades of people being in the building," Lupiano said. A nationwide constellation of state cancer databases was put in place in 1992, but these cancer registries often fail to account for changes in residency. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. That contaminated fill would have been spread all over this town from a point source that I've yet to identify that was illegally dumped back in the 40s, 50s and 60s," he said. People struggle to recall their past daily lives which seat they sat in during high school chemistry or where their drinking water came from five years ago. Keep the information coming! For public health officials, resolving this tension is the macro version of bedside manner: How do you reassure a frightened patient that nothings wrong? The Woodbridge town council spent $221,000 to deploy 83 radon testing devices and conduct radiological testing at the school building and encircling 28-acre campus. These ores, 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. Like 6 Comments |. 3/16 UPDATE: Since I created this post a week ago, the most frequent question I am asked is, Is there something I can do and do you need my help?. Lupiano's sister, also a graduate of the high school, died recently from brain cancer. There are hundreds more probable carcinogens of varying ubiquity under study, such as pesticides, parasites, night shifts and indoor fires. There's lots and lots of people calling me, saying, 'Look, I didn't go to the high school, but I live a mile away, and we call our block cancer alley. And, YESI most definitely DO! A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. Posted: Feb 28, 2023 / 02:45 PM EST. In April, Colonia High School in Colonia, New Jersey, made national headlines after more than 100 former students and staff reported online that they had been diagnosed with brain tumors, in a . According to Fox News, getting scrutiny in the controversy is the now-closed Middlesex Sampling Plant, which is a half hour away from Colonia. Something Is Wrong Here. More Than 100 Local Residents Had Brain Tumors, but What Was the Cause? HAZLE TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) James Hudock, a former chemistry teacher who was promoted to vice principal at the Hazleton Area High School . High School Lost My Transcript 16 /r/applyingtocollege, 2023-02-20, 17:42:41 Stage IV update 15 /r/pancreaticcancer . Print |. T+M Associates, an environmental engineering firm, was asked to investigate a link between the school and brain cancer last month. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 03:42 PM EST. "I dont know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation, et cetera.". They weren't taken by a licensed remediation specialist, so I assume our consultants are going to come up with a plan to do some testing, but it will be official by state and federal testing," the mayor said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. To report that your child will be absent or late, call the Attendance Hotline: (732) 726-7040 I need your help Facebook. 27 /r/newjersey, 2023-02-22, 22:36:15 Permalink. 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, said Lupiano to ABC 7. Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? This helps explain why cluster investigations so often fail to arrive at a satisfying conclusion. PROMISING CANCER VACCINE IN THE WORKS UTILIZING SIMILAR MRNA TECHNOLOGY THAT COMBATS COVID: DUKE RESEARCHERS. observed in 1990. By the time students let out for the summer, the case was closed. Trinity was led by Mike Bednostin who had a game-high 24 points. The investigation wasnt thorough enough, residents argue, and didnt involve water testing or analysis of the soil beyond radiological tests. Al Lupiano first sent public nearly two months ago about concerns of a cancer cluster related to Colonia High School. There are PCBs everywhere," he said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The clients have to pay for the remediation. We recognized that communication guidance was an area that warranted attention, said Patrick Breysse, director of the C.D.C.s National Center for Environmental Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, in an email statement. And thats not the case. Lupiano, however, says Woodbridge Mayor McCormac is the only government official who has reached out to him for information. 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. In Woodbridge and elsewhere, unresolved concerns regardless of whether more can be done, scientifically can seed deep distrust and suspicion in suspected cluster communities. Cancer-Causing Toxins Found in New Tests at NJ School, Mom Says, Raising Concerns. Tonight I will be sitting down with The Garden State Podcast, which airs on various podcast services and Tik Tok. Some workers, such as miners and firefighters, are exposed to known carcinogens during their careers. A A. Findings from an environmental review did not find any evidence of cancer-causing hazards at Colonia High School. Im optimistic we may see action in the next few days. Of the estimated 1,000 suspected cancer clusters reported to health departments each year, only a small fraction prove to be statistically significant cancer surges. Lupiano believes theres a link between. So, why am I asking for help? DeCillis passed away at the age of 44 from a rare form of brain cancer. "We absolutely have concerns, the Democrat told NJ.com. Several people raised questions to me about the state health departments analysis. Middlesex Sampling Plant to Colonia High School in New Jersey. Photo credit Google Street View. This is only one of many, many tests that can be performed. Since posting this a few days ago, the current number of confirmed (as of 1900 hours, 3/14) has now grown to 61 individuals. That means we have an incident rate of 15 cases out of 5,000 people. Komorek said the school should be thoroughly tested for PCBs from indoor air through building materials and soil. To summarize, primary brain tumors of this type have an incidence rate of between 10-30 out of 1,000,000 individuals. His most recent Facebook update, as of April 17, 2022, says that he has identified 102 cases. That could look like presenting the public with clearer timelines of an investigations course of action, creating portals to gather community feedback and encouraging two-way communications from the start., After all, there has been a long history of patients serving as a critical warning system for epidemiology, with concerned residents having alerted public health officials to mercury poisoning diseases, birth defects caused by rubella, and toxic drinking water contaminants. When I analyzed the numbers I wasnt prepared to see the results! They may seek answers where there are not any or where they are impossible to dredge out. It is not unfathomable that it may have happened in Colonia, Mrs. Komorek told the board. So, if not localized exposure, and not something we inhaled or drank, what could be the link? It was an entry point for uranium ores 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. "The agencies acknowledged their concerns regarding the potential cancer cluster, but are not conducting any testing aside from radiation and radon that the Township undertook, even though the school remains open. There never was a cancer cluster, Mr. McCormac said in June. They asked us to do this, and we did it. Why is this alarming? Colonia High School . The natural world can also pose a threat via volcanic ash or toxin-spewing fungi. Find Us . Schools in North Brunswick and Trenton, as well as in Greenwich, Conn., and Northport, N.Y., were discovered to have been constructed on or near contaminated soils. Earlier:Some in Colonia not satisfied after no radiological hazards found at school. 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