Alumni links 65 rare brain tumor cases to NJ high school, investigation launched. Unfortunately, hers was terminal, and she died in February. 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. His wife graduated in 1991. Luciano has reported his findings to Colonia High School. "I had recalled two family friends, the Black sisters, had also passed of these brain tumors," Lupiano said. 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. All Rights Reserved. 2023 New York Public Radio. Social media has played a big role in shining the light of truth on this situation. Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Donate today, Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. "And if we do find something, we're going to deal with the consequences.". Please consider subscribing to NJ.com. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac immediately and responsibly got engaged. There have been some outlier cases. "When I started looking into it, I quickly amassed 15 of our classmates with these rare brain tumors," he told NewsNation. There's a lot of speculation running rampant about what could be causing this, but to date, there has been nothing found. Immediate action from our State and Federal agencies is warranted, Lupiano said. Lupiano was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) when he was 27 years old, about 25 years ago. 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. Colonia High School A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. 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 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. Woodbridge will not get preliminary test results until after this Saturday, April 23, said Hagerty. T&M Associates subcontracted Cabrera Services Inc., a radiological environmental and remediation company, of East Hartford, Connecticut. 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. . He started researching and made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Environmental scientists are investigating reports of increased instances of brain tumors at Colonia High School in New Jersey. ", "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. Columns with an asterisk or 'N' indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy. Radiology, Allied Health, Radiologic Technologist, Neurophysiology. They all attended or worked at Colonia High School most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000. Medical experts are urging caution but also advising that there is no need for residents to panic. utah778/Getty Work began on . Lupianoknew that something was very wrong here. State health officials are now conducting an investigation into the cluster of 117 people. 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. "That's something that we take very seriously. Lupiano grew up in Woodbridge Township and he now works as an environmental scientist; he no longer lives in Woodbridge. It's not air. "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. Were all concerned, and we all want to get to the bottom of this. 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. The township announced results of an investigation. Here are the details: The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. His wife was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, which is a benign brain tumor and is the exact same brain tumor that Al Lupiano himself was diagnosed with 22 years ago. Over 122 people connected to Colonia High School were found to have brain tumors. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Phil Murphy was asked by reporters for his thoughts on the possible brain cancer cluster at Colonia High. Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry. 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. COLONIA, N.J. - Radiation tests are being done at Colonia High School in New Jersey after more than 100 people were diagnosed with rare brain tumors. 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). Our sister station WABC-TV has reached out to the EPA for comment. "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.". WOODBRIDGE Levels of radiation in and around Colonia High School were found to be consistent with typical background levels of radiation found in New Jersey and no further testing is warranted. 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 has kind of spearheaded all of this. His wife Michelle graduated in 1991. All three family members attended Colonia High, the NY Post noted. The ground and air testing will begin on Saturday. "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. The investigation started earlier this year after a stunning number of cancer cases in people who had a connection to the school. 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. 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. That is what Al Lupiano, Colonia High School (CHS) Class of 1989, wants to find out after . We contacted the author of the post, former student and former resident Al Lupiano, and offered to help, McCormac said. Courtesy Al Lupiano. 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. A A. He emphasized that there's no need for residents in the community to go get emergency cancer imaging scans immediately. 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.. Job specializations: Healthcare. And today we now stand at 117 individuals with primary brain tumors, and another 70 with very rare cancers.". Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. But we'd love to be able to rule out the school.". Pictured, a stock image of a brain scan. Friday, April 22, 2022. Facebook Colonia High School A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. Radiologic Technologist Per Diem. "It is also important to note that the data compiled and posted to social media by Mr. Lupiano has yet to be evaluated and verified by any federal, state, county or municipal agency with competent jurisdiction to fully vet and verify his research. Thats what makes the numbers staggering, says Lupiano. Komorek said the results of her testing indicate state environmental officials should conduct further tests of the air, soil and building compounds at Colonia. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Massimino sent the same statement to NJ Advance Media Monday. "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. These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals.. National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions. They were diagnosed on the same day last summer. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He says that the evidence that Lupiano has collected is a cause for concern, which is why the city will pay for emergency testing at the school this weekend. 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. Komorek presented her findings Monday to Woodbridge superintendent Joseph Massimino, Colonia principal Kenneth Pace and Woodbridge Education Association president Brian Geoffroy. 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. 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. Angela has four daughters who have or will go to Colonia High School. The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%. 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. 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. Lupiano says that most of the people on his list were at the high school prior to 1997. And there are many different forms of these cancers. As per this resolution approved at their April 5 meeting, the Woodbridge town Council hired T & M Associates and Cabrera Services, Inc. to do the radon testing (officially called "environmental engineering services for radiological assessment") at the high school. Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. Officials are looking for potential radiation at the school. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. McCormac previously said he also expects the ground and soil around Colonia High School will be tested, along with the air inside the high school building. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. The New Jersey state Department of Health. Gothamist is a website about New York City news, arts, events and food, brought to you by New York Public Radio. DeCillis died in February from glioblastoma multiforme, a form of brain cancer. 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. The couple's neurologist was baffled. His sister succumbed to brain cancer. Janice's sister Chery Black also died from brain cancer in 2015. Earlier this year, Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and Colonia High School graduate, discovered more than 115 people who spent time at the school had a rare brain tumor. Earlier this year, Colonia graduate Al Lupiano, also an environmental scientist, discovered more than 100 teachers and alums of the school who reported having brain tumors, drawing international attention to the community and sparking state and local investigations. Then making matters even worse, the same day that Michelle Lupiano (Al's wife) was diagnosed with her brain tumor, Al's sister Angela DeCillis was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. You can find glioblastoma, which are terminal. This all came to fruition in August of last year, and it just startled Lupiano. Both sisters graduated from Colonia High School, just like Al Lupiano in 1989, his wife Michelle in 1991, and his sister, Angela Decillis in 1995. There may need to be other steps taken. Both sisters were graduates of Colonia High School. 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 . Radiological assessments will be conducted throughout the schools 28-acre campus, as well as indoor radon testing, this coming Easter weekend, the New York Post reported. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day - I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. 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. Youre 98.6, youre fine, go home. 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. 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. This is when a low-level radioactive rock was found and removed from the school grounds. Image: Unsplash. The cause hasn't been discovered yet, but some researchers suspect . 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. 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. Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. All rights reserved (About Us). Lupianos wife was also diagnosed with a brain tumor, the NY Post reported. Colonia is not a mega high school. (RELATED: Video Shows Man Repeatedly Running Over Woman With SUV After Minor Incident). The soil also tested positive for excessive levels of chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide all pesticides, the report said. 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. Since . 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.. 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. Both had graduated from Colonia High School, the news outlet reported. 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. Three weeks later, Komorek collected a caulk sample from a northern exterior wall of the school and sent it to another state-certified lab in Fairfield. "The EPA and CDC are not testing at Colonia High School," said Hagerty. Rohit Ranjan. Our journalism needs your support. Jason Wisinski lost his wife, Janice, 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. All Rights Reserved. "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,'" he told Fox News. His name is on it, along with his wife and late sister. No one knows exactly what it is. Print |. Theres no telling if they're going to find answers here. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. My best friend had a cancerous brain tumor. "Given the ongoing environmental investigation and testing, it is premature to comment on any link and/or causation of cancer diagnosis that may or may not be related to Colonia High School," said Woodbridge town spokesman Hagerty. The institute predicts about 290,000 people will develop breast cancer in 2022 compared to 25,000 for brain cancer. Lupiano, an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, believed it was a pattern. Massimino said in the memo the district has contacted our environmental consultants, the Health Department of the Township of Woodbridge, and Township Officials to review the information. He also said the township shared the information with the State Department of Environmental Protection and the State Department of Health.. 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. Both parents of children in school and current teachers and staff deserve answers. What steps are investigators taking to try to figure this out? 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. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and a 1989 graduate of the N.J. high school began investigating Colonia High School in Woodbridge when he realized many others with ties to the school suffered the rare brain tumors, just like he did, 20 years ago. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, Lupiano said. Lupiano said he started searching for instances of Colonia High graduates having brain tumors and was stunned to discover 15 people in total, with two newly discovered cases pending further . Theyre testing the air for radon. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, said Lupiano. Advertisement. BSN or must obtain within 3 years. 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. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano tells NBC4 New . A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an extremely rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. Out after developed brain tumors who attended the school last summer & # x27 ; t discovered! Daughters who have or will go to Colonia High school prior to 1997 unfortunately, hers was terminal and... 290,000 people will develop breast cancer in people who had a connection to the bottom this... Reached out to the EPA and CDC are not testing at Colonia High school ( CHS ) Class 1989... 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