The states health department calculated it would be statistically ordinary for about 120 former students and staff members to have developed brain tumors in the decades since the school was built in 1967. The investigation wasnt thorough enough, residents argue, and didnt involve water testing or analysis of the soil beyond radiological tests. Fox News reported that the plant received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores between the 1940s and 1967, which is the same year Colonia High School was built.. Print |. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The natural world can also pose a threat via volcanic ash or toxin-spewing fungi. A scientist and mother is demanding answers after tests she conducted found cancer-causing toxins and materials were present at the school where more than 100 former students have since been diagnosed with brain tumors. Her sister Cheryl Black died of brain cancer in 2015. The television station reported that testing is ongoing. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. 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. 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. It is not unfathomable that it may have happened in Colonia, Mrs. Komorek told the board. Nearly 100 Former Students and Staff From Colonia High School Develop Brain Tumors "If we can enrich science by showing that an unknown compound is in high concentration and link it to primary brain tumors, maybe we can protect others, remove it from our environment to make sure it never happens again," he said. By Ed Browne On 4/25/22 at 11:00 AM EDT. ", The agencies continued: "The Department of Health will work with the federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to provide an assessment of the potential health effects. . I'm doing this not only for my wife, my sister my nieces are currently in the school but this deserves further understanding. A part of the campus is named for Pat Barbato - a longtime football coach . Email tips toaudrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants. Its very hard to pinpoint what it is that initiated that process.. Our children and Colonia High School staff deserve more involvement of the State and Federal agencies. WASHINGTON (AP) Federal officials sued a Louisiana chemical maker on Tuesday, alleging that it presented an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby . Colonia High School 180 East Street Colonia, NJ 07067 Phone: 732-499-6500 Fax: 732-574-2575. Thats not body cancers and general tumorsthats 80 rare primary brain tumors! 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. My list currently stands at 90 cases. While I have spent countless hours gathering data, I simply havent had enough time to get others involved. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. "[A]t least pick up the phone and say, Hey Al, what do you see? And I would be happy here's my list. A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. Lupianos Facebook post initially read, Calling all Colonia High School (CHS) alumniI am in urgent need of your help!. That kind of follow-up could have the opposite effect, said Shawn LaTourette, New Jerseys commissioner of environmental protection, and send the wrong message that the suspicions deserved any more resources than what had already been invested. I'm exhausted. Schools in North Brunswick and Trenton, as well as in Greenwich, Conn., and Northport, N.Y., were discovered to have been constructed on or near contaminated soils. Angela M. DeCillis, a Colonia High School graduate, Class of '95. "If we saw anything that said the school or the grounds were not safe, we would do something instantly. Im 99.99 percent convinced.. The sizes of neighborhood clusters are often too small to yield statistically significant results. r indicating there were no radiological hazards at Colonia High School, Some in Colonia not satisfied after no radiological hazards found at school, 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 apparently developed brain tumors, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. He, his wife, and his sister all attended the school in the '90s. The soil sample also contained some pesticides. According to My Central New Jersey, the township has approved an emergency contract of $221,350 for an engineering firm to conduct radiological assessments at Colonia High School.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. And experts have been able to identify a clear cause in only a tiny percentage of those. We all grew up in Woodbridge Township, but I lived in Iselin miles away from where she grew up in Colonia. All the testing, both by Komorek and the district, came after 108 people from over a period of three decades ending in the early 2000s who attended the school were diagnosed with brain tumors. All rights reserved. Earlier this year, officials claimed that penetrating radar tests on the grounds of Colonia High School concluded . 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 tumours. Cancer Cluster Probe at NJ HS Underway After 100+ Diagnosed With Brain Tumors, What Is Aphasia? Facebook Colonia High School. But patience appears to be wearing thin among some in the community, judging by the petition. An alum of Colonia High School in Woodbridge is raising the alarm over a possible cancer cluster among the school's graduates. "That was a red flag," said Komorek who also collected a caulk sample from outside the school and soil samples, both of which also came back for PCBs. While I am thrilled to have the information coming in again, its also very troubling to see the numbers continue to grow. I needed more data. NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking more than 100 people . All three of them have since come down with rare brain disorders. 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. In the meantime, the investigation continues. Ray Kent Carlile, "Ray Cool Cat Carlile" was born in Wichita, Kansas May 20, 1957 to Margaret and Earl Carlile and passed away at his home in Canon City on February 23, 2023. Lupiano, who is also an environmental scientist, and his wife Michelle-- both graduates of the high school -- were diagnosed with benign brain tumors 20 years apart. In Woodbridge and elsewhere, unresolved concerns regardless of whether more can be done, scientifically can seed deep distrust and suspicion in suspected cluster communities. I have a really bad feeling we're going to find contamination beyond the high school. 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. Thats why scientists and responders bear a great responsibility when it comes to helping citizens navigate uncertainty around a disease like cancer, which on its own can feel random and inexplicable. 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. To summarize, primary brain tumors of this type have an incidence rate of between 10-30 out of 1,000,000 individuals. Others we choose exposure to: alcohol, tobacco, processed meat, tanning beds. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. There is one well documented cause of brain tumors radiation exposure. Im working on a big piece for Vice News which will air on their network in a week or two, and the Star Ledger is running a multipage story which should drop this Sunday. Something Is Wrong Here. More Than 100 Local Residents Had Brain Tumors, but What Was the Cause? Very often the first time public health officials learn about a potential community health threat, said Dr. Morello-Frosch, is through community members themselves.. Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School . 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 . About one in three people will develop cancer over a lifetime, and one in five will die from it. But not all carcinogens cause cancer every time. But some still want more. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. The Middlesex Sampling Plant is located at 239 Mountain Avenue in Middlesex, New Jersey. My wife and I have known each other since meeting in grade school (Lynn Crest). 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. EPA looking into cancer cluster tied to NJ high school. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Colonia High School entrance. Middlesex Sampling Plant to Colonia High School in New Jersey. The analysis can back with PCBs above federal and state standards as well as pesticides that were banned in 1988," she said. Edyta Komorek, an environmental scientist and mother of a Colonia High School rising junior and freshman, was not pacified by the results. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a true cancer cluster must be a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases of the same type of cancer or those proven to have the same cause, within a specific population over a set time. All rights reserved. But in the field of public health, cancer clusters are defined by statistics, not gut instincts. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Lupiano and his wife, also is a Colonia High School grad, also developed brain tumors. Taking the next steps to begin the investigation. I will not rest until I find the answer! Gov. I dont know if its because they have deemed this to not be news worthy or simply because my requests for help have fallen on deaf ears. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection building. On April 10, Mr. Lupianos list of former students and staff members with primary brain tumors hit 100 names. But, according to the Change.org petition launched Tuesday, complete results aren't even anticipated to be received until the end of May. Their neurologist, who has been recognized as a global leader in neurosurgery by the World Federation of Neurological Societies, has treated and been involved with tens of thousands of brain tumors in his career. WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 1989. Never did I think when I started this post I would hit this number! We need an investigation! Even more troubling? Im optimistic we may see action in the next few days. Radiological assessments will be conducted throughout the . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Potentially contaminated soil had been removed from the Middlesex Borough property over the years,with some of the soil used for construction right around the time of the construction of Colonia High School. "Every inch of Colonia High School 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 . As part of the demonstration, the teacher used theinstrument to test a collection of rocks stored in the closet of the science class when one of the rocks registered a reading of radioactivity. 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. We have to accept the results.. A A. My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day I talk to her all the time, Wisinski said. Federal investigations take place: An investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency is being done to determine whether these 100-plus cases are a cancer cluster, or simply a coincidence, Fox News reported. 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 was Lupiano, who is an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, who started connecting the dots. Lupiano believes theres a link between. Others told NJ.com they want a remote learning option until the investigation is complete. Colonia High School was reportedly the common denominator among those suffering from the tumors Credit: CBS NEW YORK. Legal Statement. As luck would have it, my wife and sister where both assigned the same doctor to handle their treatment. Lupiano has been posting lengthy updates to his Facebook page: 4/11 UPDATE: 100as of midnight Sunday 4/10, I recorded the 100th case of someone having a primary brain tumor. It started in 1999 when Mr. Lupiano, then 27, was diagnosed with a noncancerous one. The study doesnt close anything. My wife Michele class of 91. His . Angela died from it. April 15, 2022 1:00 PM ET. "The results we have is not something the Department of Health, or DEP, or anyone, can rely on. 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. The total minority enrollment is 53%, and 34% of students are economically disadvantaged. More say the information flow is sorely lacking. By the time you see a tumor in a mammogram, it may be that that tumor has been growing for six years, said Rachel Morello-Frosch, a professor of public health at the University of California, Berkeley. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," Lupiano said. So that's why I focused on cancerous or malignant and benign because they're triggered by the same thing, and we have really solid statistics to say all. If you are or know of a friend, family member, or teacher that was diagnosed with a PRIMARY brain tumor, please contact me. Find Us . 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Anyone can read what you share. Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School graduate, Class of & x27!, can rely on Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High 180. 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