Would love your thoughts, please comment. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The site received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores from the 1940s until 1967, at which time the facility was decontaminated to the standards in effect at the time. "One hundred out of 15,000 have brain cancer -- sure sounds like something we should be concerned about," Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac has said. . Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? Jason Wisinski, who lost his wife and sister-in-law, both Colonia High alumnae, to primary malignant brain tumors at the age of 38, became one of many convinced that a cluster a hyperlocal blight of cancer could explain why so many young residents were succumbing to tumors. Please, look at this. The Environmental Protection Agency and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are now leading the investigation into the high instances of brain tumor diagnoses among Colonia High School students and staff. I dont know if its because they have deemed this to not be news worthy or simply because my requests for help have fallen on deaf ears. April 15, 2022 1:00 PM ET. "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," Massimino said in his letter, adding parents would be kept informed of a plan of action based on the advice of experts. Market data provided by Factset. Lupiano, his wife . In Woodbridge and elsewhere, unresolved concerns regardless of whether more can be done, scientifically can seed deep distrust and suspicion in suspected cluster communities. High School Lost My Transcript 16 /r/applyingtocollege, 2023-02-20, 17:42:41 Stage IV update 15 /r/pancreaticcancer . (Google Maps). "Nothing indicates that the school building or property is unsafe," he added. It is his belief my wife and I may be the first documented case of spouses having an AN, both roughly the same size and on the same side of the headaccording to him, the odds are maybe 1 in a BILLION. A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. WOODBRIDGE - An extensive field investigation that included assessing Colonia High School classrooms, building materials and the 28-acre East Street campus found no radiological hazards that warrant further investigation, an environmental assessment determined. Why hasnt anyone confirmed Mr. Lupianos list, in order to have an official tally to compare with the official estimate? Parents are trying to get authorities to investigate these clusters and to discern what caused the disease patterns. Colonia High School in New Jersey has seen more than 100 students and staff diagnosed with cancer over the last 30 years. Colonia High School . We need action! In addition to leaning less heavily on statistical significance, the federal agencys new updates also call for an evolution in the interpersonal aspects of a cluster investigation. I never in my worst nightmare envisioned ever hitting this milestone. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano tells NBC4 New . Print |. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Al Lupiano, a 1989 graduate of the school, has identified 65 Colonia High graduates, including himself and two other members of his family, who have been diagnosed with an extremely rare brain cancer. WASHINGTON (AP) Federal officials sued a Louisiana chemical maker on Tuesday, alleging that it presented an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby . Something Is Wrong Here. More Than 100 Local Residents Had Brain Tumors, but What Was the Cause? After Angela died in February, at the age of 44, Mr. Lupiano says, he started his outreach in earnest, fueled by a promise to his sister to seek an explanation. An estimated 165,000 cattle and calves were placed on feed during January 2023, 14 percent above last month but down 17 percent from the January 2022 placements. 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! All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School graduate is on a mission to answer that question after discovering more than 80 fe. Powered by. Here's What to Know About Bruce Willis' Diagnosis, The Wanted's Tom Parker Dies at 33 After Brain Tumor Battle, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know. At the time I was seeking treatment, my oncologist/neurosurgeon was astounded that someone my age (I was 27) had a tumor so large. 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. Al Lupiano, his sister and his wife are among the 115 people from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey that he has determined have had a brain tumor. Is cancer spreading at a New Jersey high school? They can find reasons to doubt. If you are or know of a friend, family member, or teacher that was diagnosed with a PRIMARY brain tumor, please contact me. The soil sample also contained some pesticides. Jason Wisinski, who lost his wife and sister-in-law, both Colonia High alumnae, to . Sadly, several have already died. Prove to us theres nothing, he said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. And once againI couldnt do this without your help!! What happened in Woodbridge illustrates the need for these changes, especially those aimed at bolstering the relationship between a concerned community and the public health experts facing the difficult task of investigating a suspected cluster. Al Lupiano . (Google Maps). The designation is the first, prerequisite step on the path toward a full-throated response, from investigation to cleanup and remediation and, potentially, legal recourse. In its first update to the guidelines since 2013 (which are expected to be finalized this year) the agency acknowledges that barriers to discovering and declaring true clusters remain. This is alarming if true! Of the number placed in January, 18 percent weighed less than 600 pounds, 24 percent weighed from 600 to 699 pounds, 27 percent weighed from 700 to 799 pounds, 18 percent weighed 800 . The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 producer, writer, and host Joe Votruba. Colonia High School entrance. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. This is an urgent call for actionI have two leads I am exploring on what may have caused this, but I need your help! A scientist and mother is demanding answers after tests she conducted found cancer-causing toxins and materials were present at the school where more than 100 former students have since been diagnosed with brain tumors. Colonia High School cancer probe -- test results expected? My wife Michele class of 91. The natural world can also pose a threat via volcanic ash or toxin-spewing fungi. Last summer, Lupiano's wife and now-deceased sister were diagnosed with rare malignant brain tumors on the same day. ", The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also said in a statement that it has "received information about the community's concerns related to Colonia High School and "will communicate with both the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Department of Health as they investigate the matter.". Like 6 Comments |. '", Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a "very rare" and abnormally large brain tumor in 1999 when he was 27 called Acoustic Neuroma. During the freshman orientation for parents, she collected a dust sample inside a bathroom which came back positive for polychlorinated biphenyls also known as PCBs, which have been linked to cancer in humans. Follow Joe on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. McCormac said both commissioners acknowledged they received the township's email and he hopes to hear back from them soon. With confirmed cases now at 61 we have an incidence of 61 out of approximately 10,000 individuals. A high school in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, is being investigated by environmental experts . said Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac. r indicating there were no radiological hazards at Colonia High School, Some in Colonia not satisfied after no radiological hazards found at school, 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 apparently developed brain tumors, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "It's overwhelming. There never was a cancer cluster, Mr. McCormac said in June. Komorek said sources of PCB in the school could include window, door or sink caulk, floor tile glue, paint, fluorescent light ballasts, expansion joints, concrete and mortar, materials which can emit PCBs into indoor air. In a conversation with NJSpotlight, Al Lupiano said that asecret World War II lab in Middlesex Borough, called the Middlesex Sampling Plant, is said to have been used during the Manhattan Project,a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. 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. And thats not the case. Assuming we follow the same statistical analysis as stated previously, over a 20-year period from 1975 1995, I estimate approximately 5,000 individuals have passed thru the hallowed halls of CHS. 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 . according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York Division. To summarize, primary brain tumors of this type have an incidence rate of between 10-30 out of 1,000,000 individuals. The school has stayed open, with local officials apparently telling parents that "at this time, there is no discernable health or wellness threat to students, staff, or visitors at Colonia High School," according to the petition writers. The Department of Health responded to the incident saying: We learned that one of the school's science teachers was demonstrating the use of a geiger counter (along with an accompanying sample of a low level radioactive source) as part of a science class lesson earlier that day. I hope the state will treat the school the same way because now we have kids who are susceptible receptors involved, and the teachers too," she said. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. T+M Associates, an environmental engineering firm, was asked to investigate a link between the school and brain cancer last month. His wife was similarly diagnosed with a malignant AN tumor, and his sister was diagnosed with malignant Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), which has an incident rate of 30 out of every 1 million people. Something is wrong here, he said. Lupiano, who is also an environmental scientist, and his wife Michelle-- both graduates of the high school -- were diagnosed with benign brain tumors 20 years apart. Colonia High School. Phil Murphy told NJ.com the possible brain tumor cluster was disturbing but stressed it was too soon to make definitive conclusions about the cause. Ten L Man High School. Al Lupiano, his wife and his sister all had brain tumors. 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. However, the agency accepts a greater responsibility for helping communities cope with this uncertainty and the lack of resolution that often characterizes these investigations. We all of us attended Colonia High School. Officials also reviewed local data on naturally occurring radioactive deposits and followed up on reports of a radioactive rock discovered in a science classroom in 1997. My main focus is still on determining if ionizing radiation is the cause of these tumor and other rare cancers. Nguyn Tri High School. 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. Trng Vng High School. The plant, which has since closed, is about a 30-minute drive from Colonia High School. Lupiano, an environmental scientist who tested ground samples for toxins over the course of his 33-year career, has suggested that the school's grounds could be contaminated, pointing to Middlesex, New Jersey, sampling plant as a potential linking factor behind the 100-plus tumors. 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 . . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Lupiano started the quest for answers, using Facebook to compile similar cases of people who worked or were students at Colonia High School. All rights reserved, concluded there was no dangerous or carcinogenic radiation there, 107 Cases of Brain Tumors Led to Investigation at NJ High School: Mayor Announces Results, Study of NJ HS at Center of Cancer Cluster Mystery Shows No Radioactivity: Mayor, Grad Inks Deal to Bring Free Brain Scans to NJ Community in Cancer Cluster Mystery, 108 people from over a period of three decades ending in the early 2000s, no traces of radioactivity found in the school, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know. But this isn't the first time the high school has had questions about the radiation levels in the area. V Th Su High School. After 2nd grade, my wife attended parochial school until high school, where she attended CHS. Some depend on the type of exposure, others unleash carcinogenesis only in people with the right genetic predisposition. So, if not the neighborhood, what was the link? According to Tapinto.net, Colonia High opened in 1967, built on woodland property near the Garden State Parkway, in the communitys estate section, surrounded by residential neighborhoods.. How was this possible? Twenty-two years later, in 2021, doctors discovered that his wife, Michele, had a tumor, a benign acoustic neuroma on the left side of her brain. Lupiano promised his dying sister to dig for the root of the brain cancers apparently linked to the high school. He was raised in Thornton, CO and moved to Liberal, Kansas where he married and had two girls, Chelsey and Amber. For those who dont know me, my name is Al Lupiano and I graduated CHS class of 89. Lupiano, an environmental scientist, said he has confirmed 65 cases of people with rare brain tumors, adding the common denominator is they were all Colonia High School graduates or had worked there. 100 PEOPLE WITH RARE TUMORS WHO ATTENDED SAME NEW JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL DEMAND ANSWERS. Whatever the city decides to do, Komorek said she hopes it goes beyond the tests they already performed. I don't get that," he said. Al Lupiano, a former Colonia High School student, Pop-punk band New Found Glory playing rare performance near NJ, The cast of Home Improvement what they look like now, Bristol Palin on the mend after 9th breast augmentation, There is now a 24-hour Rocky TV channel, Gisele Bundchens post-Tom Brady magazine cover fuels satanic panic, These Speciale meatballs named best balls in New Jersey, Reward yourself! Since cancer can take such a long time to manifest, evidence of what caused it has ample time to disappear. The Township of Woodbridge took the lead in the investigation, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for testing at a school that graduated roughly 15,000 people over the last 30 years. These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals. My list currently stands at 90 cases. I dont believe so as we all came from different parts of the Township. "[W]e have really solid data on primary brain tumors because of what we learned after World War Two, what we learned after Chernobyl," Lupiano explained. 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 apparently developed brain tumors, including his sister who died with a malignant brain tumor in February. More than 100 former students and staff at the school have been diagnosed . The updates also move to de-emphasize statistical significance as the main criterion for investigating suspected cancer clusters in order to make more room for other criteria, such as mortality and electronic health record data, neighborhood patterns of cancer and even community-created lists of individuals with cancer diagnoses. People who have been exposed to ionizing radiation have an increased risk of developing primary brain tumors, whether they are malignant or benign, according to the Mayo Clinic. The schools social media accounts have been quiet about the brain tumors. Our children and Colonia High School staff deserve more involvement of the State and Federal agencies. The perception of a cluster in a community may be as important as, or more important than, an actual cluster, the C.D.C. Frequently, in hazmat, you never find it in the first shot," Lupiano said. Theres something there, in Colonia, Mr. Wisinski said. The answer? Lng Th Vinh High School. ( NewsNation) An investigation is underway at a New Jersey high school that could potentially be linked to what's known as a cancer cluster. That, the "concerned Colonia High School parents, alumni, and township members" petitioning on behalf of their school community say, isn't acceptable. Thats not body cancers and general tumorsthats 80 rare primary brain tumors! "They are all causing cancer.". Further explanation of what occurred at that high school over these decades of people being in the building," Lupiano said. Several people raised questions to me about the state health departments analysis. Angela M. DeCillis, a Colonia High School graduate, Class of '95. While generally only life threatening if left untreated, radiation and surgical removal typically leaves individuals with numerous debilitations including chronic headaches, balance issues, fatigue, deafness, slurred speech, inability to blink, and facial paralysis (to name only a few), and that assumes it doesnt begin to regrow in the future. Middlesex Sampling Plant to Colonia High School in New Jersey. The city of Woodbridge has been taking the lead on that front, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for testing at a school that graduated roughly 15,000 people over the last 30 years. "My thoughts are we should look into it, but it's what you would expect if you texted caulking from a building built in the 1960s. I have made this shareable from my personal page if you would like to sharethank you for your assistance! 3/25 UPDATE: The meetings with County, State, and Federal agencies are going well. Others told NJ.com they want a remote learning option until the investigation is complete. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. In 1999, when he was just 27, Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare, benign brain tumor for someone his age called Acoustic Neuroma (AN). I'm doing this not only for my wife, my sister my nieces are currently in the school but this deserves further understanding. medical mystery at a high school following dozens of diagnoses of brain tumors. By Ed Browne On 4/25/22 at 11:00 AM EDT. 100 families having to be told the terrible news. 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. All three of them have since come down with rare brain disorders. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. 1:07. "The Departments stand ready to assist Woodbridge in reviewing any environmental data it collects to determine appropriate next steps. Radiological assessments will be conducted throughout the . This is only one of many, many tests that can be performed. 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. Im working on a big piece for Vice News which will air on their network in a week or two, and the Star Ledger is running a multipage story which should drop this Sunday. Ive reached out to both the news and local newspapers, but have not received any interest. It is possible that soil from the plant had been trucked to Colonia High School during its construction in 1967, according to the NJ Spotlight. Could that be the link? Findings from an environmental review did not find any evidence of cancer-causing hazards at Colonia High School. Hng Vng High School. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! With no state regulations for PCBs in schools, she suggested Vermont state guidelines be followed for indoor air testing because they are more conservative than federal Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Colonia High School was reportedly the common denominator among those suffering from the tumors Credit: CBS NEW YORK. The New Jersey cancer registry offers little help, since not everyone who went to or worked at Colonia still lives in Woodbridge, and not everyone in Woodbridge went to Colonia. 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). Something is wrong here, he said. Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . Image: Unsplash. Because the school remains open, we demand greater urgency to find out if potentially harmful substances are harming our children and staff at Colonia High School.". It's going to have PCBs, they all do. Why would they include classes as recent as 2021 when we know many cancers take decades or longer to develop? Lupianos Facebook post initially read, Calling all Colonia High School (CHS) alumniI am in urgent need of your help!. This is 18 hours a day. For public health officials, resolving this tension is the macro version of bedside manner: How do you reassure a frightened patient that nothings wrong? 100 stories of shock and disbelief with the diagnosis. "We and our children deserve more! 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. The situation first came to light after Colonia High School alumnus Al Lupiano identified at least 104 former students and staff who suffered from rare brain tumors and cancer. People move in and out of town. According to My Central New Jersey, the township has approved an emergency contract of $221,350 for an engineering firm to conduct radiological assessments at Colonia High School.. 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 Colonia High School including himself, his wife and his sister, who recently died of cancer on Facebook in March, he has gathered the names of at least 110 graduates with rare brain tumors. 3/31 UPDATE: Thanks to all of you, the post has gone viral. If I trusted those numbers, I would be relieved, and I would be happy, she said. The plant received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores between the 1940s and 1967, which is the same year Colonia High School was built. World News Posted by Amit Chaturvedi Updated: April 15, 2022 12:33 pm IST. The town announced in May that there were no traces of radioactivity found in the school. Facebook Colonia High School. For the past six months, Ive spent hundreds of hours scouring the internet and speaking to people about brain tumors. Ive also started a sublist of what I am classifying as cases of interest due to several anomalies. Everything that was found is normal." Their neurologist, who has been recognized as a global leader in neurosurgery by the World Federation of Neurological Societies, has treated and been involved with tens of thousands of brain tumors in his career. At the Colonia High School news conference in May, reporters pressed a panel of state experts on the decision not to test water and soil, even if just to reassure concerned community members that there was nothing there. 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 . Even so, these constraints do not relieve public health departments from their duty to do all they can to address their constituents concerns even if they cant deliver definitive answers and even if they are under strain themselves. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. It is not unfathomable that it may have happened in Colonia, Mrs. Komorek told the board. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. "They kind of understand," Komorek said, adding her children have to start over with new classes, teachers and schoolmates. Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain tumors diagnosed in 108 people over a period of three decades, ending in the early 2000s. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Brian Thompson reports. 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. However, 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. V Trng Ton High School. "People have to stop using the word cancer cluster. A cluster of brain tumors in people associated with a single New Jersey high school, Colonia High School, is causing concern. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection building. The television station reported that testing is ongoing. I needed more data. "The medical journals are rich with data supporting ionizing radiation causes brain tumors.

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