But public health experts are cautioning against deeming the tumor cases a "cancer cluster" just yet. One former student, Al Lupiano, 50, was diagnosed with brain tumors in the 1990s but subsequently recovered, according to NJ.com. Sneak Peek At Woodbridge Mayor's Mailer Urging 'Yes' Vote On March 14, Woodbridge Woman Writes Her 2nd Fiction Novel, Critically Praised, Perth Amboy Outerbridge Crossing Crash Blocks Lane Tuesday: DOT, NJ Camp Fairs at Menlo Park Mall Mar 4, 2023 - FREE to Attend (12-3PM), 2023 Spring Garden Tea Party Gift Auction, Raisin, The Tony-Winning Best Musical - Second Incredible Week, Johns Crazy Socks Enters the Wholesale Channel so Retail Stores Can Sell Our Socks, Protect Your Home from Ticks with Yard Guard from Viking Pest, The Doobie Brothers Play In New Brunswick July 8,9, Highest NJ Property Taxes: See Where Your Town Ranks On New List, Person Shot During Police Encounter At South Jersey Rest Stop: AG. Exterior shots of Colonia High School in Colonia, NJ on Thursday, April 7, 2022. Over 1,300 cases have been reported of people getting sick after eating the Lucky Charms cereal. The couple's neurologist was baffled. Theyre testing the air for radon. 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. The governor wont be embracing the bill despised by landlords and supported by tenant advocates. Lupiano also lost his younger sister to the disease in February at the age of 44, the outlet continued. What treatments are available for the afflicted? For her part, Komorek said she took it upon herself to do the independent testing for my own peace of mind, to sleep at night, and for my girls to remain at the school., I was hoping it was going to come back negative, she added. Im optimistic that when all is said and done, we will have a definitive link of what caused this to happen to all of us and Im hopeful that we can take that knowledge and prevent it from ever happening again.. But we'd love to be able to rule out the school.". The 50-year-old claims the diseases could be traced. Again too early to tell yet, I think, to draw any definitive conclusions.". Lupiano has confirmed that he will not stop until he finds out what has happened here over the years at Colonia High School. I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15, he told CBS News York of the list, which now totals 115 people who had either malignant or benign tumors. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Radiologic Technologist Per Diem. They are also both graduates of Colonia High School. Lupiano grew up in Woodbridge Township and he now works as an environmental scientist; he no longer lives in Woodbridge. She said she collected a dust sample from the top of the stall in a womens bathroom inside Colonia on Aug. 30, then sent it to a state-certified laboratory in Mountainside for testing. Here are the details: The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. The sample came back indicating PCBs at concentration of 4.3 ug/wipe (or 100 cm2), indicating that PCBs may be present in indoor air, according to a report compiled by Komorek and obtained by NJ Advance Media. All Rights Reserved. Advertisement. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, said Lupiano. On the National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions, tumors in the brain and nervous system rank 19th in terms of case rate but 5th-lowest in terms of the chances of survival. Additionally, T&M Associates has begun conducting historic site research to obtain any and all necessary records related to the construction of Colonia High School when it was built in 1967, through to the present. Fortunately one of the survivors is an environmentalscientist Al Lupiano, who is bringing attention to this and he is relentlessly looking for answers. It's not air. Also, just on Monday Gov. "We're just going to wait to find out. They were diagnosed on the same day last summer. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. Columns with an asterisk or 'N' indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," said Lupiano. Woodbridge will not get preliminary test results until after this Saturday, April 23, said Hagerty. Both sisters were graduates of Colonia High School. I had stage 4 cancer. Lupiano says that most of the people on his list were at the high school prior to 1997. (RELATED: Video Shows Man Repeatedly Running Over Woman With SUV After Minor Incident). WOODBRIDGE - Work is underway to create a portal for people with ties to Colonia High School who have developed brain tumors to share information with the New . "I had recalled two family friends, the Black sisters, had also passed of these brain tumors," Lupiano said. Environmental engineers have been testing for radiation at Colonia High School in New Jersey after reports that over 100 former students and staff members were diagnosed with brain tumors. Mar 30, 2022 The Wanted's Tom Parker Dies at 33 After Brain Tumor Battle Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain. Most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000, said Matthew Stanmyre with NJ Advance Media, who broke the news. Mystery as 100 people. Lupianoknew that something was very wrong here. 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. There could be a real problem here, and our residents deserve to know if there are any dangers, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said, according to the outlet. NJ cluster of brain cancer prompts investigation, We rely on your support to make local news available to all, Astoria pool will be closed this summer for renovations: Parks, Gov. Angela has four daughters who have or will go to Colonia High School. 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. 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. "It's certainly concerning because the rate of primary brain tumors is certainly higher than what we would expect in the general population," said Dr. Arif Kamal, Chief Patient Officer at the American Cancer Society. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. My list quickly started multiplyingit all seemed to be linked back to the high school. Colonia High School graduateAl Lupiano talks to @KatyTurNBC about gathering names of over 80 individuals with rare brain tumors who attended the school. The city of Woodbridge, NJ is conducting an investigation after more than 100 former students and staff at the local Colonia High School were found to have developed brain . That is the conclusion federal, state, county and township officials concluded after weeks of radiological testing inside and outside of school grounds in April and May. No one knows exactly what it is. Some are the most awful worst kinds of brain cancer. 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. What steps are investigators taking to try to figure this out? The same day my sister was diagnosed (August 2021), I received the devastating news my wife Michele (nee Zawada) also has a very large (3.0 cm), very rare brain tumor called an Acoustic Neuroma (aka Vestibular Schwannoma) on her left side. I know so many people who have ailments and cancer specifically who lived near there. Stanmyre joined WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to explain the latest on these cases and what the investigation could entail. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "Colonia is not a mega high school. 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.. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A high school in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, is being investigated by environmental experts after reports of more than 100 former students and staff being diagnosed with brain tumors. The testing was prompted after township officials learned of various social media posts related to several instances of brain tumors and brain cancer among students and faculty of CHS from approximately 1975-99. Its not contaminated water. But according to the new results, the school currently poses no danger. Both parents of children in school and current teachers and staff deserve answers. All Rights Reserved. That's a huge number for such a small region. katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address "I went on Facebook on March 7, and I asked for the people on Facebook to help me find others. That's what makes the numbers staggering," says Lupiano. In a Facebook post, Lupiano said the battle over whats affecting hundreds of CHS alumni, teachers and staff is not over with the help of renowned doctors and scientists., He called the data presented at the press conference flawed.. Phil Murphy was asked by reporters for his thoughts on the possible brain cancer cluster at Colonia High. Please consider subscribing to NJ.com. Al Lupiano has found 107 people with primary brain tumors who all attended or worked at Colonia High School. Such odds help to explain the public surprise after NJ Advance Media reported in early April that New Jerseyans living in the neighboring communities of Woodbridge and Colonia have developed various forms of brain tumors. Unfortunately, hers was terminal, and she died in February. 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 . Thanks to social media, Lupiano found a total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors - about half are cancerous. Whittington believes that the Colonia High School students and staff have developed glioblastoma multiforme, a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor that invades the nearby brain tissue. Lupiano said the rarity of the brain tumors raised concerns of the neurologist they shared since they all grew up in relatively the same neighborhood. Just simple math in my head having a husband and wife with this tumor, which arent related and then to have my sister with a blastoma, I knew something was wrong, Lupiano says. So that has already begun. Donate today, Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. As the school remains open during the investigation, some students are concerned. The New Jersey state Department of Health. "It's not something done to us due to bad habits, said Lupiano. "And if we do find something, we're going to deal with the consequences.". Dr. Marc Siegel discusses brain tumors that emerged among former Colonia High School students on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.' Local and federal environmental agencies say they are assisting. Over 122 people connected to Colonia High School were found to have brain tumors. The school is expected to remain open during this time. Environmental scientists are investigating reports of increased instances of brain tumors at Colonia High School in New Jersey. Google Maps. My MIL died of lung cancer. 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. Brain cancer is relatively rare but very dangerous. There may need to be other steps taken. 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. In presenting her findings, Komorek urged the district to share her findings with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. 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. The municipal council in Woodbridge, which oversees Colonia High School, approved an emergency contract earlier this month to start radiological testing of the grounds at the high school. They may need to excavate soil underneath the school. Last year, Lupianos wife and sister also developed brain tumors, as first reported byCBS New York. Officials are looking for potential radiation at the school. 100 former students, staff of Colonia High School in New Jersey say they have rare brain tumors. 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. Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. "That's something that we take very seriously. 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. There's a vast array of treatments, but again, we're dealing with so many different types of primary brain tumors here that they're all treated very differently. Immediate action from our State and Federal agencies is warranted, Lupiano said. Theres no telling if they're going to find answers here. "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. DeCillis died in February from glioblastoma multiforme, a form of brain cancer. The lists, which are sorted by county and include a separate list for charter schools, also include a second graduation rate, which excludes students whose special education IEPs allow them to qualify for diplomas despite not meeting typical coursework and attendance requirements. He shared a 2020 Emmy for the PBS NewsHour series Stopping a Killer Pandemic and in 2019 received a George FosterPeabodyAwardfor the PBS NewsHour series The Plastic Problem. Nsikan has also worked for NPR, Science News Magazine, Science Magazine, KUSP Central Coast Public Radio, the Santa Cruz Sentinel and as a writer at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University. Concerns were raised by Al Lupiano, a 1989 graduate of Colonia High School, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor along with his wife Michele and sister Angela DeCillis, both of whom had. Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily. 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. At the time of the CBS interview in late March, Lupiano claimed to have confirmed 65 cases of rare brain tumors, all affecting people who either attended or worked at Colonia High School. A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. 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. The conversation is available below. ", "We are taking this incredibly seriously," Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac told Patch earlier this April, saying that he finds Lupiano's theory "quite credible and legitimate. National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions. 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. The action (should) be undertaken immediately, due to high exceedances of the State and Federal regulatory standards for PCBs and pesticides, as well as the fact that PCBs and chlordane inhalation may be occurring by students and staff, Komorek stated in a letter to district officials. "Woodbridge Township contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the CDC, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (which is part of CDC), and the state Department of Health last week, and we've begun initial discussions with them.". "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. Youre 98.6, youre fine, go home. 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. 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 of brain tumors, cancers, and other central nervous disorders in former students and staff members. 100 PEOPLE WITH RARE TUMORS WHO ATTENDED SAME NEW JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL DEMAND ANSWERS The 110 people that Lupiano has counted on his list of former Colonia High School graduates have been. Dr. Joseph Massimino, superintendent of Woodbridge Township School District has commented that they are waiting for more details and formulating next steps, in coordination with New Jersey environmental agencies. Some are incredibly aggressive forms of cancer that need very aggressive forms of treatment. Federal agencies are also assisting in the investigation. The investigation started earlier this year after a stunning number of cancer cases in people who had a connection to the school. Is Colonia High School the cause of primary brain tumors in former students and staff from 1975 to 1995? I could go on. "100as of midnight Sunday 4/10, I recorded the 100th case of someone having a primary brain tumor," Lupiano wrote on Facebook last Monday, April 11. A soil sample taken from near the northern wall of the school similarly indicated PCBs concentration of 575 mg/kg, exceeding the New Jersey Soil Remediation Standard. Its not something in soil. All three family members attended Colonia High, the NY Post noted. You can find glioblastoma, which are terminal. Lupiano, his wife and his sister all Colonia High grads were all diagnosed with rare brain tumors. Lupiano was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) when he was 27 years old, about 25 years ago. How did this incident come to light in the first place? Lupianos quest for information took him to Facebook last month, and that list of people who went to or worked at Colonia High School - and have a primary brain tumor - is now closing in on 100 cases. It's just that rare. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. Komorek presented her findings Monday to Woodbridge superintendent Joseph Massimino, Colonia principal Kenneth Pace and Woodbridge Education Association president Brian Geoffroy. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream, Onlookers urged police to charge into TX school: 'Go in there! In April, the township entered an emergency agreement with T&M Associates, of Middletown, for professional environmental engineering services for a radiological assessment of Colonia High in an amount not to exceed $221,350. 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