We contacted the author of the post, former student and former resident Al Lupiano, and offered to help, McCormac said. That's a huge number for such a small region. CNN's Ana Cabrera speaks to Al Lupiano, a former student. 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. Over 122 people connected to Colonia High School were found to have brain tumors. But I want to be careful to say that it's very early in the investigation. Massimino sent the same statement to NJ Advance Media Monday. "It's alarming because there are just so many people with a tumor - malignant or benign, and it's serious. Before National Geographic, he worked for more than four years at PBS NewsHour, where he co-created anaward-winning video series named ScienceScope. "Colonia is not a mega high school. A graduate as recent as 2014 was found to have a primary brain tumor. 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 . 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. Listed on 2023-03-02. Immediate action from our State and Federal agencies is warranted, Lupiano said. 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. "That started setting off bells and whistles in my head.". 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. "It's not something done to us due to bad habits, said Lupiano. 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. Other toxic elements and compounds could exist at the schools property due to presence of suspected fill material, potential illegal disposal of chemicals or contaminant migration from surrounding properties, Komorek stated in her letter. State health officials are now conducting an investigation into the cluster of 117 people. 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. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, Lupiano said. So, would . Earlier this spring . Exterior shots of Colonia High School in Colonia, NJ on Thursday, April 7, 2022. 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. Al Lupiano revealed he had a brain tumor 20 years ago, before his wife had one and so did his sister - who died in February aged just 44. They learned of their tumors eight days apart. By Sean Adams, WCBS Newsradio 880. Since . Her sister, Cheryl Black also died from brain cancer in 2015. The probe was the result of concerns about a possible brain tumor cluster linked to graduates and staff from Colonia High, a school of about 1,300 students in Middlesex County. My MIL died of lung cancer. It has been lightly edited for clarity. Also, just on Monday Gov. Lupiano, an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, picked up on a trend. On March 29, 2022, Lupiano wrote an article in a local newsletter, asking for help to identify people who developed the brain tumors, to collect data to plan further steps for answers to a probably cause. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. One former student, Al Lupiano, 50, was diagnosed with brain tumors in the 1990s but subsequently recovered, according to NJ.com. His sister succumbed to brain cancer. Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry. All rights reserved. "In addition, DEP's further review does not indicate sources of environmental exposures of concern to public health. His wife and sister found out on the same day last August - two hours apart. NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking more than 100 people . 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. An investigation into the possible link between Colonia High School and cancer found no radiological hazards that warranted further investigation. 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. Last year, Lupianos wife and sister also developed brain tumors, as first reported byCBS New York. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. They are leaving radon canisters at the school for 14 days, which will test for elevated levels of radon. The community is absolutely unnerved and absolutely terrified by what's going on here. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist,. 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. Lupiano also lost his younger sister to the disease in February at the age of 44, the outlet continued. But according to the new results, the school currently poses no danger. 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. Matthew Stanmyre | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, found no traces of radiological contaminants. A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. 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. 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. 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. Our journalism needs your support. The testing actually started April 9, and testers have been seen walking around Colonia High School, taking air samples to test for radiation, said Woodbridge town spokesman John Hagerty. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day - I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. 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. Fortunately one of the survivors is an environmentalscientist Al Lupiano, who is bringing attention to this and he is relentlessly looking for answers. Youre 98.6, youre fine, go home. Job in West Orange - Essex County - NJ New Jersey - USA , 07052. Theyre testing the air for radon. But we'd love to be able to rule out the school.". Woodbridge Township is paying T&M Associates $221,350 to do the radon testing. Jason Wisinski lost his wife, Janice, 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. Phil Murphy was asked by reporters for his thoughts on the possible brain cancer cluster at Colonia High. So, would you take us through what is known so far about this cluster? 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. Lupiano has found nearly 200 people with links to Colonia High School who have brain tumors or other rare cancers. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. All Rights Reserved. "My wife fought like crazy. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. SOURCES:PEOPLE Magazine, CBS News New York, New York Post, NJ.com &Dr. Joe Whittington. Nsikan was previously at National Geographic where he worked as a science editor, overseeing its COVID-19 coverage in addition to other topics in science, health and technology. So that has already begun. He holds a doctorate in pathobiology from Columbia University and is an alum of the science communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. There's a lot of speculation running rampant about what could be causing this, but to date, there has been nothing found. This is terrific news for current students of Colonia High School (CHS) and their parents who worried about their safety along with current staff members, Mayor John E. McCormac 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. 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. ", "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. Dozens of former teachers and. The couple's neurologist was baffled. This is when a low-level radioactive rock was found and removed from the school grounds. That is what Al Lupiano, Colonia High School (CHS) Class of 1989, wants to find out after . 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 . At that time, I only had 15 people on the list, and I decided after grieving for a few weeksit was time now to go public and ask people to help me.. Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. "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. 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. Komorek was so alarmed by the findings that she decided to pull her daughters out of Colonia this week and enroll them in another Woodbridge high school, per the districts transfer policy. 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. Superintendent Joseph Massiminio the district worked with representatives from the state Department of Environmental Protection, the state Department of Health, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Disease Control, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to discuss the matter, and that national firms T&M Associates and Cabrera Services were tasked with collecting data and conducting the necessary tests. 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.. They are testing the grounds outside and inside of the high school inside. 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. The ground and air testing will begin on Saturday. Lupiano has been able to confirm that 94 former students and staff of Colonia High School had developed brain tumors, as per coverage in New York Post. I just felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions regarding the school, Komorek told NJ Advance Media. (RELATED: Video Shows Man Repeatedly Running Over Woman With SUV After Minor Incident). 100 former NJ high school students . The sudden death of his sister led Lupiano on a research mission about the rare brain tumors. National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions. I had stage 4 cancer. No one knows why. 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. Accordingly, no further testing or remediation is required or recommended at this time. But public health experts are cautioning against deeming the tumor cases a "cancer cluster" just yet. There have been some outlier cases. "I had recalled two family friends, the Black sisters, had also passed of these brain tumors," Lupiano said. I will uncover the truth," Lupiano said to NJ.com. Al Lupiano has found 107 people with primary brain tumors who all attended or worked at Colonia High School. Its not air. 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). COLONIA, New Jersey (WABC) -- An investigation into the possible link between a Central New Jersey school and cases of brain cancer found no radiological hazards that warranted further investigation, the district superintendent said Thursday. "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. 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. He was diagnosed 20 years ago. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. More than 100 people who graduated from Colonia High School have developed brain cancer. 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. Its not something in soil. Medical experts are urging caution but also advising that there is no need for residents to panic. As a concerned uncle and community member, I pray we find nothing, Lupiano says. But even more rare was the fact that his wife and sister later found out that they had similar medical conditions. 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. 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. Thanks to social media, Lupiano found a total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors - about half are cancerous. We have to really take a look at it," said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac. 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. Again too early to tell yet, I think, to draw any definitive conclusions.". "That's something that we take very seriously. Listing for: Select Medical Corporation. While Lupianos wife Michele is still undergoing treatment, his sister Angela died in February, just months after her diagnosis. It's not something in soil," Lupiano said to CBS News. Angela has four daughters who have or will go to Colonia High School. Nsikan runs the health and science desk at WNYC/Gothamist. 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. 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 also attended the school. Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. 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. He emphasized that there's no need for residents in the community to go get emergency cancer imaging scans immediately. The onset of brain tumors in more than one hundred people who attended or worked at Colonia High School in New Jersey has continued to baffle experts. 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. 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. 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 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 . 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. WWE Star Sonya Deville Arrested In Atlantic City On Gun Charge, Atlantic City Official & Council Candidate Facing Assault Charge, Former Press of Atlantic City Office Building To Get New Purpose, Atlantic City Area Residents Share Favorite Childhood Memories, Atlantic City, NJ Mayor Leading Free Resident Credit Repair Effort, Atlantic City, NJ Area Great Hurricane Of 1944 (AMAZING PHOTOS), Atlantic Citys Chris Ford Proved That Nice Guys Finish First, NJ Author Discusses What We Can Do to Address Bullying in Schools. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Unfortunately, hers was terminal, and she died in February. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. They said it was about a one in a billion odds. Would they just end it at that?. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac immediately and responsibly got engaged. 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 . He found a total of 104 former students and faculty, and about half were cancerous. Advocates, for months, implored state and local officials to undertake more testing. utah778/Getty Work began on . Officials are looking for potential radiation at the school. Nearly 100 people attending a single high school in New Jersey have developed rare forms of brain cancer.
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