The Township of Woodbridge took the lead in the investigation, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for testing at a school that graduated roughly 15,000 people over the last 30 years. Humans are awash in potential cancer-causing agents, and it is practically impossible to determine the cause of a given case. Colonia High School in New Jersey has seen more than 100 students and staff diagnosed with cancer over the last 30 years. His . RWJBarnabas Health and Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Ive also started a sublist of what I am classifying as cases of interest due to several anomalies. In addition to leaning less heavily on statistical significance, the federal agencys new updates also call for an evolution in the interpersonal aspects of a cluster investigation. . 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. While I have spent countless hours gathering data, I simply havent had enough time to get others involved. They can find reasons to doubt. We need action! According to the television station, the sisters graduated from Colonia High School. 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. At least one epidemiologist I spoke to for this article told me that, just glancing at the numbers, he wasnt surprised that public officials have determined Colonia was not a true cluster. Lupiano's sister, also a graduate of the high school, died recently from brain cancer. $9 Million Contract from National Cancer Institute Awarded for NJ State Cancer Registry. Something is wrong here, he said. Rohit Ranjan. Pollution gets cleaned up or dissipates into the air. But not all carcinogens cause cancer every time. observed in 1990. DeCillis passed away at the age of 44 from a rare form of brain cancer. 2021 DEADLIEST YEAR IN US HISTORY DUE TO COVID-19, DRUG OVERDOSES. The soil sample also contained some pesticides. 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. Komorek said some studies suggest a relationship between exposure to PCBs and a greater risk of developing brain tumors. 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. 100 PEOPLE WITH RARE TUMORS WHO ATTENDED SAME NEW JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL DEMAND ANSWERS. In a mysterious story, a man from New Jersey named Al Lupiano found out that 100 people with uncommon cancers were linked to Woodbridge Township School District, Colonia High School. Based on our information regarding the rock, and the surveys conducted of our staff, we are confident that it is safe for the children to return to school. That, the "concerned Colonia High School parents, alumni, and township members" petitioning on behalf of their school community say, isn't acceptable. I'm exhausted. (Al Lupiano), Lupaino says he has witnessed, in his career, "what happens when our government and our military [are] involved with leaving a location and not being very good environmental stewards. The sizes of neighborhood clusters are often too small to yield statistically significant results. Lupiano and his wife, also is a Colonia High School grad, also developed brain tumors. This is a high bar to clear. People who have been exposed to ionizing radiation have an increased risk of developing primary brain tumors, whether they are malignant or benign, according to the Mayo Clinic. Ive reached out to both the news and local newspapers, but have not received any interest. Brian Thompson reports. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. said Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac. While I am thrilled to have the information coming in again, its also very troubling to see the numbers continue to grow. My main focus is still on determining if ionizing radiation is the cause of these tumor and other rare cancers. We all of us attended Colonia High School. 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. Edyta Komorek is a professional environmental scientist. So when officials declared earlier this year that ground penetrating radar tests on the grounds of Colonia High School concluded there was no dangerous or carcinogenic radiation there, she took matters into her own hands. This list too has grown quickly and is now 24 individuals. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 02:45 PM EST. "To me their health is the most important thing.". Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. Market data provided by Factset. Colonia High School is located in Colonia, New Jersey. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. 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. It doesnt just go away because the test says all clear.. ", The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also said in a statement that it has "received information about the community's concerns related to Colonia High School and "will communicate with both the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Department of Health as they investigate the matter.". All three of them have since come down with rare brain disorders. Image: Unsplash. "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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 03:42 PM EST. And when do you need to check your own biases and take patients concerns more seriously? This is alarming if true! Hng Vng High School. People struggle to recall their past daily lives which seat they sat in during high school chemistry or where their drinking water came from five years ago. Even if evidence is black and white, its hard to convince people of something they arent prepared to believe, said Robert Laumbach, a professor of public health at Rutgers University who is leading a federal study of forever chemicals in Gloucester County, in southwestern New Jersey. 27 /r/newjersey, 2023-02-22, 22:36:15 Permalink. After the CBS Channel 2 News airing, the summarized radio broadcast on CBS 880, and the NJ 101.5 coverage, my phone has not stopped ringing. ( NewsNation) An investigation is underway at a New Jersey high school that could potentially be linked to what's known as a cancer cluster. This now makes three of us in one family with primary brain tumors all on the left side. Hold the phone in landscape mode. Graphic Video Captures Death of 14-Year-Old Boy on Orlando Free Fall Amusement Ride. In the meantime, the investigation continues. His most recent Facebook update, as of April 17, 2022, says that he has identified 102 cases. But, in order for me to take the next steps, I need the help of others. '", Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a "very rare" and abnormally large brain tumor in 1999 when he was 27 called Acoustic Neuroma. These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals. Lupiano, however, says Woodbridge Mayor McCormac is the only government official who has reached out to him for information. Why? He, his wife, and his sister all attended the school in the '90s. But some still want more. What happened in my community continually repeats itself throughout this entire country, year in and year out, that survivor, Trevor Schaefer, told lawmakers in 2011. Its very hard to pinpoint what it is that initiated that process.. Ultimately, if it isnt a radiation source that is causing these illnesses, Lupiano says other tests can be done to pinpoint a cause. Cancer does not awaken all at once. 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 . I never in my worst nightmare envisioned ever hitting this milestone. State your name, what you were diagnosed with, when, and what year you graduated CHS or worked there. "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. Here's What to Know About Bruce Willis' Diagnosis, The Wanted's Tom Parker Dies at 33 After Brain Tumor Battle, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know. "I dont know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation, et cetera.". Komorek said the school should be thoroughly tested for PCBs from indoor air through building materials and soil. 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. 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. Lng Th Vinh High School. So, if you wish to help, please help me get the word out. And experts have been able to identify a clear cause in only a tiny percentage of those. Thats 100 people with their life forever changed. People move in and out of town. I needed more data. Rich Strack, who taught English and philosophy at Colonia for about 30 years, likened the situation to a dark cloud hanging over the school. Because the school remains open, we demand greater urgency to find out if potentially harmful substances are harming our children and staff at Colonia High School.". Im optimistic we may see action in the next few days. 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. Email tips toaudrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants. Colonia High School is 1 of 3 high schools in . The study doesnt close anything. 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. Thats not body cancers and general tumorsthats 80 rare primary brain tumors! ", "They tend to leave stuff behind, and that stuff tends to migrate from one location to another. Colonia High School entrance. But patience appears to be wearing thin among some in the community, judging by the petition. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," Lupiano said. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. To report that your child will be absent or late, call the Attendance Hotline: (732) 726-7040 "Im not sure what they will propose, but I hope this is going to include comprehensive soil, ground, water (testing)," she said. In 1999, the Corps prepared an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) to address the Vicinity Property (VP) pile remaining at the site. At an educational board meeting in June, Mrs. Komorek laid out the possible leads she and others would like to see explored, like whether the schools 1960s-era building materials contain mercury or formaldehyde. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection building. or redistributed. The plant, which has since closed, is about a 30-minute drive from Colonia High School. According to My Central New Jersey, the mayor said the school site was vacant land until the school was built in 1967, so he believes there is little chance anything was in the ground before then, but if there is anything on site, it could have come from fill during the construction phase.. For a community desperate for sense-making answers, it may be a bitter truth: There is more cancer around us than we can comprehend, and yet not enough to make scientific sense of. All rights reserved. Colonia Park Mall in court over $200,000 in bills Komorek said sources of PCB in the school could include window, door or sink caulk, floor tile glue, paint, fluorescent light ballasts, expansion joints, concrete and mortar, materials which can emit PCBs into indoor air. A consultant will be testing the grounds at Colonia High School, New Jersey, amid concerns that the school is linked to a high rate of rare brain cancers. 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. Is the exposure ongoing? 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 . More than 200 people have signed an online petition demanding a public meeting with state officials in New Jersey and federal authorities over concerns about a medical mystery at a high school following dozens of diagnoses of brain tumors. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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