"From my perspective when we find this type of contamination on our client's property, we're not allowed to sit still and refuse to act. More than 100 former students and staff at the school have been diagnosed . Komorek said the superintendent thanked her for her research and said a consultant would have to review her findings. 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. Caitlyn Shelton. "Most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000," said Matthew Stanmyre with NJ Advance Media, who broke the . While the death rate from cancer is dropping, thanks to improving treatments and early detection, the total number of cancer cases in the United States is expected to rise by 50 percent compared with 2015 cases, in large part because of aging populations. WASHINGTON (AP) Federal officials sued a Louisiana chemical maker on Tuesday, alleging that it presented an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby . If you were affected or have a tumor or rare cancer, I need your assistance. ou can send me a private message using FB Messenger or call/text me at (732)718-4753. Colonia High School cancer probe -- test results expected? 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 . Marion Renault is a health and science journalist. When faced with terminal disease, people often look for an overarching explanation as a way to cope with an unbearable reality. For the past six months, Ive spent hundreds of hours scouring the internet and speaking to people about brain tumors. While I dont know for sure if they are related, being graduates of the High School, living next to the HS, and/or having rare cancers is something I feel needs to be explored further. Lupiano and his wife, also is a Colonia High School grad, also developed brain tumors. In 1999, the Corps prepared an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) to address the Vicinity Property (VP) pile remaining at the site. Why Al Lupiano raised alarm over Colonia HS cancer links Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? The township does not have records dating back to 55 years ago, the site noted. 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. 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. But Mr. Lupiano said he ultimately hopes one way or another to be assured that all is as it should be. During my research, I uncovered a shocking number of our Woodbridge Township friends and family have also been diagnosed with primary brain tumors. The draft guidelines promote listening skills and empathy on the part of state and local health department representatives, the sharing of information upon which decisions are made, and developing communication plans in advance of concerns being raised to build trust and credibility, said Dr. Breysse. What we were not prepared for was for the state to say, Were satisfied, after doing one simple test, Mr. Lupiano said. 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. 3/25 UPDATE: The meetings with County, State, and Federal agencies are going well. 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. Our children and Colonia High School staff deserve more involvement of the State and Federal agencies. NJ high school linked to mystery cancer cases. If you are or know of a friend, family member, or teacher that was diagnosed with a PRIMARY brain tumor, please contact me. 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. or redistributed. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection building. (Google Maps). A former Woodbridge man has identified 84 Colonia High School alumni and former staffers with rare brain tumors and wants health officials to investigate. Remedial Action in accordance with this ROD was completed in FY08. (two newly discovered cases are pending further investigation). We have to really take a look at it, said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac to ABC 7. The 110 people that Lupiano has counted on his list of former Colonia High School graduates have been diagnosed with cancerous or noncancerous primary brain tumors, meaning they originated in the brain. All of them graduated from Colonia High School, and they all have brain tumors, ABC7 reported. If you would like to help, please contact the news and media agencies as well as your local, County, and State officials and get them involved. In the 1980[s], the contaminated residential properties were cleaned up, and the excavated soil was stored at the site in a specially constructed pile, known as the Vicinity Properties (VP) pile," the USACE New York Division's website states. Tech & Science Science Health and Medicine Brain Cancer. DeCillis passed away at the age of 44 from a rare form of brain cancer. I pray we find answers(as of 18:00 4/11, the list stands at 102 individuals), 4/5 UPDATE: There has been quite a lot of news coverage nowKatie Tur of MSNBC, NJ Spotlight, Tap Into, Infolad, etc. Why hasnt anyone confirmed Mr. Lupianos list, in order to have an official tally to compare with the official estimate? 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. As luck would have it, my wife and sister where both assigned the same doctor to handle their treatment. But patience appears to be wearing thin among some in the community, judging by the petition. April 15, 2022 1:00 PM ET. The AP participation rate at Colonia High School is 37%. Middlesex County's Colonia High School, located in Woodbridge, has made national headlines in recent weeks after over 100 former students and facultywere found to have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors. Nearly 100 Former Students and Staff From Colonia High School Develop Brain Tumors 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. Since cancer can take such a long time to manifest, evidence of what caused it has ample time to disappear. Cancer Cluster Probe at NJ HS Underway After 100+ Diagnosed With Brain Tumors, What Is Aphasia? "We appreciate the NJDOH, NJDEP, ATSDR, and CDC assistance to the Woodbridge Townships environmental investigation that is currently ongoing, but strongly believe that this is not enough," the petition says in seeking the involvement of more state and federal agencies. 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. In 1998 the Corps of Engineers recycled and disposed of the stockpiled steel. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 producer, writer, and host Joe Votruba. That means we have an incident rate of 15 cases out of 5,000 people. 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. WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 1989. Lng Th Vinh High School. Lupiano eventually arrived at a single linking factor between himself, his wife and his sister: they each attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge in the 1990s. 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. She also suggested air sampling be done with closed windows to make sure indoor air is not diluted. McCormac said he has seen Komorek's findings and consulted with the superintendent of schools. 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. Edyta Komorek, an environmental scientist and mother of a Colonia High School rising junior and freshman, was not pacified by the results. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The states environmental agency confirmed that the water company which does not use water from ground wells known to be pollution-prone serving the area had not had any violations for radiological contaminants since at least 2004. 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. But not all carcinogens cause cancer every time. The plant received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores between the 1940s and 1967, which is the same year Colonia High School was built. Email tips toaudrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants. So, if you wish to help, please help me get the word out. Lupiano's 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 . Here are the best chocolates in New Jersey. After meeting with Komorek, Massimino sent a notice to parents Monday about her results from additional environmental testing at the school. Al Lupiano, a 1989 Colonia High School graduate, has developed a list of nearly 120 people who were students, teachers or staff members at the school who have developed brain tumors.Lupiano's . 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. Despite the number of cases, officials first have to determine if scientific evidence indeed indicates a connection between the school grounds and the brain tumors. The victims all went to Colonia High School in Woodbridge in New Jersey . 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 . But this isn't the first time the high school has had questions about the radiation levels in the area. NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking more than 100 people . All rights reserved. Thats not body cancers and general tumorsthats 80 rare primary brain tumors! "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 will not rest until I find the answer! (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.). Ms. Renault is a health and science journalist. 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. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. 27 /r/newjersey, 2023-02-22, 22:36:15 Permalink. According to the television station, the sisters graduated from Colonia High School. 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. There never was a cancer cluster, Mr. McCormac said in June. "We absolutely have concerns, the Democrat told NJ.com. Ive done the leg work for them and gathered the data for the last 6 months. 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. It was Lupiano, who is an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, who started connecting the dots. Here are some tips. The incident rate for GBM is approximately 30 out of 1,000,000 people. When I analyzed the numbers I wasnt prepared to see the results! A part of the campus is named for Pat Barbato - a longtime football coach . My three siblings graduated class of 91, 95, and 98. Lupiano's sister, also a graduate of the high school, died recently from brain cancer. Is cancer spreading at a New Jersey high school? Warning signs of bile duct cancer; 4 mins ago China's real estate market in 'thirst' for credit; 5 mins ago 3 lonely constellations have companions, difficult ones have someone to show the way; 6 mins ago Le Quang Liem won a beautiful victory against the Filipino-American chess prodigy; 8 mins ago Concerned about the agency to settle land . Others told NJ.com they want a remote learning option until the investigation is complete. Find Us . Some workers, such as miners and firefighters, are exposed to known carcinogens during their careers. 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. An alum of Colonia High School in Woodbridge is raising the alarm over a possible cancer cluster among the school's graduates. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. "The results we have is not something the Department of Health, or DEP, or anyone, can rely on. 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Hold the phone in landscape mode. He was 52 years old. In the meantime, Komorek has taken her own two daughters out of Colonia High School, but the mayor cautions against calling it a cancer cluster. It's going to have PCBs, they all do. Pollution gets cleaned up or dissipates into the air. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. "[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. 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. 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. I have a really bad feeling we're going to find contamination beyond the high school. Rohit Ranjan. She stressed more testing needs to be done on the schools East Street property to see if there are other sources of possible contamination, such as fill material, illegal past discharges, or contamination from other sites. Thats 100 people with their life forever changed. A cluster of brain tumors in people associated with a single New Jersey high school, Colonia High School, is causing concern. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. Some depend on the type of exposure, others unleash carcinogenesis only in people with the right genetic predisposition. Last summer, Lupiano's wife and now-deceased sister were diagnosed with rare malignant brain tumors on the same day. 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 . . Colonia High School is now the subject of radiation detecting research. Earlier:Some in Colonia not satisfied after no radiological hazards found at school. The school was one of the first buildings constructed there and has since been expanded. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 03:42 PM EST. 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 . McCormac said both commissioners acknowledged they received the township's email and he hopes to hear back from them soon. 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. Nguyn Tri High School. 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. I am currently organizing data to formulate my next steps. 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?. Very often the first time public health officials learn about a potential community health threat, said Dr. Morello-Frosch, is through community members themselves.. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. Taking the next steps to begin the investigation. Anyone can read what you share. The facility, which includes several buildings on 9.6 acres, was an entry point for African uranium ores known as pitchblende. "It is not enough to address parents of operating school with suspected cancer cluster through written statements given to media outlets," the petition said. I dont believe so as we all came from different parts of the Township. Every inch of Colonia High School, part of the Woodbridge Township School District, 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 diagnosed amongst former students and staff. There are hundreds more probable carcinogens of varying ubiquity under study, such as pesticides, parasites, night shifts and indoor fires. 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. According to ABC7, one of the victims was a woman named Janice Wisinski, who died 10 years ago from an inoperable brain tumor while pregnant. "They kind of understand," Komorek said, adding her children have to start over with new classes, teachers and schoolmates. 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. Jason Wisinski, who lost his wife and sister-in-law, both Colonia High alumnae, to . Brian Thompson reports. Ive also started a sublist of what I am classifying as cases of interest due to several anomalies. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. An investigation has . Chu Vn An High School. On April 15, 2022, Lupiano wrote on Facebook. 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 . Carcinogens of varying ubiquity under study, such as pesticides, parasites, night and. 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