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. He alleges that some contaminated soil was removed from the site when it closed down in 1967 the same year Colonia High School was built. "To say he was concerned when he discovered all three of us grew up in the same neighborhood is an understatement. Lupiano was diagnosed in 1999 with a benign tumor known as Acoustic Neuroma. After the testing ends, Lupiano said he and his supporters will be looking for a commitment by federal authorities for a conclusive investigation into whether something in the schools environment caused the brain tumors. In less than six weeks, Lupiano says, he has gathered the names of 94 people connected with the school who have developed brain tumors. T&M Associates of Middletown and its team of environmentalists are scheduled to begin collecting data at the high school this weekend by placing radon canisters throughout the building to collect air samples, according to township officials. To his knowledge, there was nothing remotely dangerous at the site. A look back: Al Lupiano was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma, a . Colonia High School is now the subject of radiation detecting. He had developed 'rare' brain tumor some 20 years ago. A single New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking 100 people diagnosed with rare cancers or tumors to a Woodbridge high school. "If there's a unique exposure, we would expect a unique cancer type," Platz said. All are awaiting results from the radiation testing at the school before deciding how to get involved and proceed with the investigation. NBCLX storyteller Peter Hull walks you through the research. After nearly 100 people who attended the same New Jersey high school developed rare brain tumors, an alumnus and cancer survivor is demanding answers. "When I looked at the email and I saw the data I just dropped. Cancer diagnosis: Detection, testing and research, Parasite found in cat poop linked to higher brain cancer risk in humans, Once-dreaded poliovirus could treat brain cancer. "Colonia is not a mega high school. "They're the only ones with the authority to do something," Lupiano told CBS2's Kevin Rincon. All these photos are from AP and Getty publications, meaning they were used in a magazine or newspaper. Lupiano began counting how many people associated with the town were effected. The disturbing development became headline news this week after CBS News took it national. The Anti-Defamation League said the phrase at the center of the question was popularized as a trolling campaign by members of 4chan a notorious anonymous message board and was adopted by . Meanwhile, the TikTok video sparked panic and a range of conspiracy-theory style comments, with people claiming mold, toxic waste, asbestos and nearby cellphone towers could all be causing the cluster. What It Said, "Playing For Country": Gavaskar Blasts Gill For Calling Physio Mid-Over, Inside "World's Most Ultra-Luxury Resort", At $100,000 A Night, "I'm Not Their Target, You": Manish Sisodia's Resignation Letter, Video: Delhi Building's Dramatic Collapse After Fire, "Will Continue To Impose Sanctions On Russia": US Treasury Secretary, Chicago's 1st Openly Gay, Black Woman Mayor Loses Re-Election, Will Blow Up Mukesh Ambani, Amitabh Bachchan Bungalows, Caller To Cops, Think Tank CPR's Foreign Funding Licence Halted: "Will Explore Recourse", F1 Legend Jenson Button Breaks Guinness World Record. How will officials determine if a true cancer cluster exists? Robert Miller The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to. There has been plenty of inventions and history made in New Jersey. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff over a 30-year period have been diagnosed with cancer and local parents say the information they're getting on the investigation. The states Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette backed up the mayors declaration the school was safe. In August 2021, DeCillis received her diagnosis of Grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive, rare, and deadly form of brain cancer. A cancer survivor is vowing to untangle the twisted mystery of why almost 100 people associated with a New Jersey high school have developed extremely rare malignant brain tumors. A report outlining results is expected in about a month, McCormac said. "I dont know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation, et cetera.". They were very appreciative that we reached out to them but they were not interested in getting involved, and they kept trying to pass it off, and saying they will have to do research and get back to you, he said, referring to the New Jersey agency. I'm still helping him get more attention.". Know What It Is, Nagaland Minister Pokes Fun At G20 Flower Pots Theft Accused, This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. "It needs to be investigated, no questions asked," said Elizabeth A. Platz, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Advertisement. 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. NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking more than 100. "I'm not particularly concerned because it hasn't happened in quite some time. "Dozens of people have asked me to help them find a way to have a brain scan since they have been having signs and symptoms something may be wrong, but due to lack of insurance or not being able to afford the deductible, have not been able to have an MRI scan," Lupiano wrote in a Facebook post. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Environmental scientist Al Lupiano is. He, his wife and sister were among those who were diagnosed with brain tumors. Why is the cancer that killed John McCain so deadly? The plant then "decontaminated to the standards in effect at the time," though "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," the USACE New York Division said on its website. "With that in mind, and after many weeks of work, I was able to negotiate an agreement with BTF to provide this service completely FREE of charge.". 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. DeCillis passed away at the age of 44 from a rare form of brain cancer. "We thank Mayor McCormac [sic] and the local residents for raising these concerns and we ask for patience as we pursue the science to try to identify answers," the statement reads. But public health experts are cautioning against deeming the tumor cases a cancer cluster just yet. I am being told Lupiano, who graduated from the school in 1989, himself was diagnosed 20 years ago and said he still suffers lingering issues, CBS New York reports. But in 2021, his wife and sister, also graduates of Colonia, were both diagnosed with rare brain tumors, according to NJ Spotlight News. A subsequent TikTok video discussing the medical mystery has also racked up more than 2.2 million viral views in just 24 hours. Lupiano said his teamdealt withanti-terrorism work, radioactive materials, and chemical and biological agents. Al Lupiano is among the 94 former staff and students from Colonia High School in the Woodbridge Township School District who have been stricken by the devastating diagnoses in recent years. Thats 100 people with their life forever changed. He's identifiedat least 65 people, including graduates and former staff who walked the halls of CHS from 1975 to 1995. "That's probably been the biggest fear of all," Lupiano said. The EPA says that inhaling radon for a long time increases your risk of lung cancer. 2023 NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Brain tumor victims urge federal and state authorities to probe possible link with school. Lupiano began researching to see if other Woodbridge friends and family members had been diagnosed with brain tumors. More recently, a 1999 graduate died in 2016 of a head/neck tumor, while a 1998 graduate was diagnosed in 2014 with astrocytoma, a cancer of the brain stem. The work will be done in cooperation with Woodbridge School District. "We continue receiving lip service, that we're here to help, but when we look around, they are nowhere to be found.". More: 'It can't be a coincidence': Colonia High School community probes mysterious cancer cases. Related: The 10 deadliest cancers, and why there's no cure. But how will officials figure out if a true cancer cluster exists or if the cases are simply a coincidence? Please enter valid email address to continue. 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 April 10, Mr. Lupiano's list of former students and staff members with primary brain tumors hit 100 names. We've received your submission. / CBS News. 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. McCormac said he was very concerned to learn of the possible link. ", Rick Rickman is the news assistant at New Jersey 101.5. "For the most part I'm pretty good today," Lupiano said. Gov. The viral TikTok video discussing the purported cancer cluster was posted Wednesday by popular personality Dr. Joe Whittington. On Tuesday after a public push by Lupiano local officials approved an emergency probe of the school. The plant received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores between the 1940s and 1967, which is the same year Colonia High School was built. 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. But public health experts are cautioning against deeming the tumor cases a "cancer cluster" just yet. I dont think this is the end of the story. And in March 2022, a few weeks after his sister's death due to her malignant tumor, Lupiano posted his findings to Facebook in search of more patients. His wife was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, and his sister was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. All rights reserved. While not technically cancer, these brain tumors can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. Reports claim that more than 60 former students and staff of Colonia High School have been diagnosed with a rare brain tumor called . A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. 55, for example, died from glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in 2016 after graduating in 1981. His wife. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began. A 2012 study in the journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology demonstrates how tricky it can be to confirm a cancer cluster. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. COLONIA, N.J. -- There is a growing push to go back to remote learning at one New Jersey high school, but not because of COVID fears. The community suspects a cancer cluster, and would like it investigated, and I think thats a very reasonable request. Age, exposure to radiation and family history are all risk factors. He has continued to update followers on social media and on Thursday, said the list stood at 115 people who had either malignant or benign tumors. His wife, Michelle, who also attended Colonia high, got a benign diagnosis as well, though the two came 20 years apart. WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 1989. Calls are growing for state and federal authorities to look into why more than 100 people have been diagnosed with brain tumors since attending the school as students, faculty or staff in past decades. World News Posted by Amit Chaturvedi Updated: April 15, 2022 12:33 pm IST. Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School graduate is on a mission to answer that question after discovering more than 80 fe. "I will not rest until I have answers," the 50-year-old told NJ.com. This is how New Jersey saw the world from 1940-to 1980. Were all concerned, and we all want to get to the bottom of this. He accused the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry of being unresponsive to his calls for a formal probe. Lupiano and McCormac have spoken to officials with the state Department of Health and thefederalAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Its not something done to us due to bad habits.. During a press conference, local and state officials said a probe into Colonia High School, located in Woodbridge, found there was no cause and effect relationship between those illnesses and the building and grounds at Colonia High School.. In early March, Al Lupiano, 50, of Jamesburg, a 1989 Colonia High School graduate, posted on Facebook that his 44-year-old sister, Angela DeCillis, a 1995 Colonia High School graduate,died inFebruary from a rare,highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor on the left side of her brain, that had been diagnosed in August 2021. 'It can't be a coincidence': Colonia High School community probes mysterious cancer cases, Piscataway man convicted of exploiting daughters college peers after moving into dorm, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The results from the environmental study that was conducted at a New Jersey high school campus enveloped in a brain tumor cluster mystery among graduates and workers at the school revealed no traces of radioactivity were found in the school. Print |. Legal Statement. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Exterior shots of Colonia High School in Colonia, NJ on Thursday, April 7, 2022. Lupiano is wondering whether some of that soil ended up on the school grounds. "But I understand why anyone would be concerned. 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. The cancer was diagnosed years after these students graduated or worked at Colonia High School in Woodbridge. Colonia Mayor John McCormac announced Thursday afternoon the results of the findings of the Environmental Assessment Study that was conducted to investigate if Colonia High School buildings and grounds. "We're all concerned, and we all want to get to the bottom of this. 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. The canisters do not poseany danger and do not emit any substance, and are routinely used in homes, businesses and schools to collect radon measurements, township officials said. 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. 'I will not rest until I . If we dont find anything, we have to start looking at other potential candidates, whether its chemicals or something in the soil or air. Last year, his sister who also went to the school found out she had a primary brain tumor, which turned out to be stage 4 glioblastoma, he told CBS New York. Legal Statement. The mayorsays only the experts are qualifiedto make an actionable connection between the cases and CHS. 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. 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. Donavyn Coffey is a Kentucky-based health and environment journalist reporting on healthcare, food systems and anything you can CRISPR. The Township of Woodbridge, in cooperation with the Woodbridge Township School District, has taken the proactive initiative to contract with T&M and Cabrera Services, Inc., a nationally recognized radiological and environmental remediation company, to engage their team of environmentalists to begin collecting data at Colonia High School, the town said in a statement. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Head trauma could put people at higher risk of brain cancer, Actress beaten by stranger, diagnosed with brain tumor and run over by car, My wife thought she had baby brain it was deadly cancer, My face is melting off due to a rare disease, Chill Hip hop 37(932007) 212soundworks, American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormick told CBS New York the school, which was built in 1967, was built on "virgin land" in the woods. Al Lupiano, his wife Michele, and his sister Angela DeCillis all graduated from CHS between 1989 and 1995. The health department also looked at brain cancer rates for Colonia High School and compared them to rates of brain cancer throughout New Jersey and the United States. Lupiano is an environmental scientist who tested ground samples for toxins over the course of his career and suggested that the school's grounds could be contaminated, according to NJ Spotlight News. "They'll have the means to do air sampling, water sampling and soil sampling," Lupiano told New Jersey 101.5. Asking them to be patient for several more weeks is unacceptable. Its overwhelming. Unlike lab experiments, which can be tightly controlled, epidemiology and public health studies are often based on observations; as such, the answers can be incomplete or unsatisfying, Platz said. ", Colonia High School entrance. There's no proof yet that anything at CHS is the cause. Ultimately, if it isnt a radiation source that is causing these illnesses, Lupiano says other tests can be done to pinpoint a cause. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. He initially found 15 people, allColonia High School graduates from around 1975 to 1995, had them, he said. 89. McCormack said the town wants local and federal involvement in the investigation. (Google Maps). 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. Immediate action from our State and Federal agencies is warranted," Lupiano said. Brain tumor concerns prompt petition for remote learning at Colonia HS, graduates or staff members with brain tumors, Former Woodbridge, N.J. resident says 65 people who either attended or worked at Colonia High School have had rare brain tumors. Colonia High School is now the subject of radiation detecting research. 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