colonia high school brain cancer

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. By April 11, he had heard from more than 100 former Colonia High School attendees who had been diagnosed with rare tumors and cancers. 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. "But I understand why anyone would be concerned. He said the site was vacant land until the school was built in 1967,so he believes there is little chance anything was in the ground before then, but if there is anything on site, it could have come from fill during the construction phase. Lupiano also spoke with CBS News on Thursday, saying he now believes ionizing radiation must be responsible for the health issues. Now, an investigation is underway to determine if the school Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey is linked with a cancer cluster. 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. Discussions with that doctor about the rarity of three family members all being diagnosed with brain tumors led to Lupiano's quest for more research because radiation exposure is a well-documented cause of brain tumors. The discovery of the possible link between the school and the brain tumors is so new that it hasn't yet been verified by any agency, and the testing being done there is just part of the effort to figure out the true extent of the problem. Hours after Deciliis got her diagnosis, Lupiano's wife Michelereceived similar news. LOS ANGELES (AP) More than a week after Tom Sizemore suffered a brain aneurysm, a representative says the actor's family is "now deciding end of life matters." "Today, doctors informed . 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. (Gosselin Funeral Home) In August 2021, DeCillis received . 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Whittington a board-certified MD in California claimed several of the brain tumors developed by ex-Colonia High staff and students are glioblastoma multiforme an aggressive cancer which spreads to brain tissue. Lupiano said he has had meetings with county, state and federal agencies, which he said in a March 25 post "are going well.". His wife graduated in 1991. 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. 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. Lupianowould liketheir investigators to come in over spring break so that students are not disturbed. 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," Lupiano said. 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. 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. The township announced results of an investigation. In April, Woodbridge approved environmental testing at the school, but those results won't be made available until the end of June. Very few achieve the label, but one of them is Toms River, where the rate of childhood cancers surged in the 1990s after the towns drinking water was contaminated with toxic chemicals from two waste dumps. We're just doing it," said Mayor John E. McCormac. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nearly 100 people attending a single high school in New Jersey have developed rare forms of brain cancer. 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 environmental assessment study at Colonia High School was recently completed, in response to allegations that suggested the school had radiological hazards that contributed to diagnoses. At the end of the study we are either going to know if there is a problem linked to radiation or not, he said. Please enter valid email address to continue. According to the Mayo Clinic, an Acoustic Neuroma is a slow-growing tumor that is found on the primary nerve that . Colonia High School in New Jersey has seen more than 100 students and staff diagnosed with cancer over the last 30 years. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, I make $80k selling nudes to pay for cancer treatment men love bald look, Jimmy Carters niece says former president still has some time in him, Experts say youve been storing potatoes wrong this whole time and shut down cancer rumors, Joe Exotics doctors suspect he has bladder cancer but hes refusing treatment: report. Lupiano's familiarity comes from his own experience. I will not rest until I have answers, Lupiano, 50, declared in an interview with NJ.com and the Star-Ledger on Thursday. State Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichillisaid during the press conference a review of the cancer registry by health officials determined the expected number of primary brain tumors for Colonia students from 1968 to 2021 were 98 to 105 and among staff for that same timeframe were 13 to 14. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. In 1999 when Lupiano was 27, he too was diagnosed with a large acoustic neuroma on the left side of his brain. The analysis was conducted after dozens of former high school students and staff over decades were diagnosed with cancers. The EPA says that inhaling radon for a long time increases your risk of lung cancer. And over the last 18 years, Lupiano has worked forMarine Spill Response Corp. The City of Woodbridge has hired experts to conduct radiation tests inside school buildings and on school grounds, according to NJ Spotlight News. Asking them to be patient for several more weeks is unacceptable. "We continue receiving lip service, that we're here to help, but when we look around, they are nowhere to be found.". It is possible that soil from the plant had been trucked to Colonia High School during its construction in 1967, NJ Spotlight reported. Despite the number of possible cases, officials say they must first determine if there is any scientific evidentiary connection between the school grounds and the brain tumors. And all three were diagnosed with rare forms of brain cancers or tumors on the left side of their brains. His illness was diagnosed in 1999; hers in 2001. The Middlesex Sampling Plant, which has since closed, is located on 9.6 acres, about a 30-minute driving from Colonia. 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. during the press conference posted on the townships Youtube page. Reports claim that more than 60 former students and staff of Colonia High School have been diagnosed with a rare brain tumor called . Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, 89. 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. I pray we find answers(as of 18:00 4/11, the list stands at 102 individuals). WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 1989. McCormac, who lives three blocks from Colonia High School,is not yet convinced of a link. He believes something at the high school in one of the more suburban and affluent sections of the township is responsible for dozens of brain cancer cases. "They'll have the means to do air sampling, water sampling and soil sampling," Lupiano told New Jersey 101.5. 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. If it's an ongoing issue, we may have to go through this all over again in 10 to 20 years. 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. Its not something done to us due to bad habits.. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. An investigation has . 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. In August 2021, DeCillis received her diagnosis of Grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive, rare, and deadly form of brain cancer. A man investigating his former high school in New Jersey says he has counted 115 people who attended or worked there have had a rare brain tumor. 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. In 1999, at age 27, he was diagnosed with a large, benign brain tumor called an acoustic neuroma. (For example, smoking increases a person's risk of lung cancer.). "I don't know what the cause is," Lupiano said. His sister Angela Decillis. We are looking at possible things that we can do between the town and school, and they said they will look at anything we come up with, McCormac said. He thinks the cases stem from contaminated soil, but there's no data to prove that at this point. Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. 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. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). However, Lupiano is still worried about his teenage nieces attending the school. The school district's superintendent, Dr. Joseph Massimino, said in March that he was waiting to hear from the environmental agencies on next steps. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com. The announcement comes on the heels of the development that a New Jersey man who graduated from the high school that he believes is linked to a mysterious cluster of brain tumors dating back decades -- and to his own diagnosis -- says he's gotten a New York City-based foundation signed on to offer free brain scans to people in the community who may not otherwise have access. Most radon exposure occurs inside homes, schools and workplaces. Its not something in soil. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. There is one well documented cause of brain tumors radiation exposure," he continued. Stanmyre: Right now, the number this week is up to 117 people who have been found to have a primary brain tumor of some sorts, according to data from Al Lupiano, who is the Colonia graduate who. 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. Middlesex Sampling Plant to Colonia High School in New Jersey. 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. I will uncover the truth.. In 1999, when he was just 27, Al Lupiano. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. A Colonia High School alum said he found 107 people with brain tumors who went to or worked at the school. He died 15 years ago from brain cancer. Gov. 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. After his sister's death in February, Lupiano became convinced of a link between the Colonia. He just needs a place. An environmental assessment began last month to test the school grounds, which turned up no findings of radiological contaminants, according to NJ.com, a New Jersey news site. In a post Saturday, Lupiano said a radiological team that was looking for radiation and radon concluded their search. His wife Michelle graduated in 1991. DeCillis passed away at the age of 44 from a rare form of brain cancer. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. (Al Lupiano). 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Outdoors, radon disperses rapidly and, generally, is not a health issue. McCormac said he was very concerned to learn of the possible link. In a statement to CBS News, Lupiano said he is "anxiously awaiting the results of the two-week-long radiological survey which concluded this weekend" and he anticipates he will receive the results in weeks. It's due to concerns tied to graduates or staff members with brain tumors. Since . DeCillis earned her doctorate of nursing practice from Rutgers Universityin 2015. Check the photos below. World News Posted by Amit Chaturvedi Updated: April 15, 2022 12:33 pm IST. 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. 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. Published on Apr 08, 2022 Al Lupiano and his wife, Michele, at their home in Jamesburg,. So far, more than 2,000 people have signed a Change.org petition demanding, in part, students return to remote learning. First published on May 4, 2022 / 10:52 PM. Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. But doubts that the tumor cases represent a cancer cluster are unwarranted, said Lupiano, who predicted strong protests in the Woodbridge community if state and federal authorities dont start a formal investigation soon. A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. McCormac speaks highly of Lupiano, who worked for nine years after college with EPA emergency responders. Even though the cluster cases ended almost two decades ago, Lupiano appears as determined as ever to uncover the cause -- and he understands that parents who send their kids to school there now may have some concerns despite what officials tell them. It is now one of the hottest topics to be discussed on TikTok. "It's too important. It can seem connected, when in reality, cancer is quite common and people are simply noticing this fact. In a joint statement to CBS News, the New Jersey Department of Health and the state's Department of Environmental Protection said the agencies "are aware of the concerns raised by local residents, particularly as they relate to Colonia High School, and are partnering with Mayor McCormac and Woodbridge Township to better understand the issue and determine whether any relevant environmental exposure concerns are present at the site.". 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. Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic. Working that out takes time, Platz said. "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. 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