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. Both his wife and sister were assigned the same doctor for treatment. The viral TikTok video discussing the purported cancer cluster was posted Wednesday by popular personality Dr. Joe Whittington. or redistributed. Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas has the latest as 100+ have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey. The issue became national headline in the United States after CBS News aired a story on it. 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. NBCLX storyteller Peter Hull walks you through the research. "We continue receiving lip service, that we're here to help, but when we look around, they are nowhere to be found.". #braincancer #glioblastoma #braintumor #radiation #medicalmystery #doctor. And over the last 18 years, Lupiano has worked forMarine Spill Response Corp. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. Back in March, Colonia High graduate Al Lupiano posted his theory about possible links between brain tumors diagnoses among 1990s and early 2000s graduates of Colonia High and since then, he gathered the names of at least 110 grads with brain tumors, according to Fox News Digital. Donavyn was a Fulbright Fellow to Denmark where she studiedmolecular nutrition and food policy. McCormac speaks highly of Lupiano, who worked for nine years after college with EPA emergency responders. On the exact same day, Lupianos younger sister, Angela DeCillis, another alumna of Colonia, learned that she too had brain cancer. He believes something at the high school in one of the more suburban and affluent sections of the township is responsible for dozens of brain cancer cases. No one knows why. But some parents didnt seem convinced, according to NJ.com. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, 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. Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. The Middlesex Sampling Plant, which has since closed, is located on 9.6 acres, about a 30-minute driving from Colonia. Shehad been dealing with hearing loss for several years. While not technically cancer, these brain tumors can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. NY 10036. All are awaiting results from the radiation testing at the school before deciding how to get involved and proceed with the investigation. You can also see how much the average bill changed from 2020. I have a really bad feeling were going to find contamination beyond the high school. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Because I dont think its right to say theres no threat to teachers and students if you didnt take a single soil or groundwater sample.. A 2012 study in the journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology demonstrates how tricky it can be to confirm a cancer cluster. 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. Whittington a board-certified MD in California claimed several of the brain tumors developed by ex-Colonia High staff and students are glioblastoma multiforme an aggressive cancer which spreads to brain tissue. And I know that wears on my brother-in-law, it wears on my parents. "There could be a real problem here, and our residents deserve to know if there are any dangers," Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said in a statement carried by the New York Post. Last month, McCormac and Superintendent of Schools Joseph Massimino became aware of health-related concerns reported on social media about a potential connection between Colonia High School and graduates who developed brain tumors. 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Out of roughly 10,000 people, having more than five dozen cases of brain tumors and cancers is far above the average. "The Departments stand ready to assist Woodbridge in reviewing any environmental data it collects to determine appropriate next steps," the statement reads. The community suspects a cancer cluster, and would like it investigated, and I think thats a very reasonable request. An investigation has been launched after more than 100 people who attended a high school in New Jersey appeared to contract a rare cancer. The disturbing development came to the fore after one of the former students Al Lupiano - a cancer survivor - decided to untangle the mystery. By that time, we hope the federal agencies are going to take over. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. For anothertwo decades, he held similar jobs withbig companies including Lockheed Martin. He says if there is something going on, he worries about all of the people that would be impacted. Legal Statement. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormack told the outlet that his office initiated conversations with the Woodbridge Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Agency for Toxic Substance Disease Registry about opening investigations into potential radiation exposure stemming from the high school's campus. Until then, he knew of 15 former Colonia attendees who had been diagnosed with brain tumors. The same day his sister was diagnosed, his wife, Michele, a 1991 Colonia High School graduate, was diagnosed with a large acoustic neuroma, a rare brain tumor which is life-threatening if left untreated. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The work will be done in cooperation with Woodbridge School District. "We absolutely have concerns, the Democrat told NJ.com. LaTourette said during the press conference every possible link to cancer was tested. Since . Market data provided by Factset. "The high school was the first thing to be there, so there was probably nothing in the ground at that time," he said. Like 6 Comments |. Immediately I knew exactly what I was looking at. Twentyyears earlier, he was also diagnosed with an aggressive 36-millimeter acoustic neuroma. He initially found 15 people, allColonia High School graduates from around 1975 to 1995, had them, he said. The EPA says that inhaling radon for a long time increases your risk of lung cancer. "Al has presented enough evidence that warrants further attention, but we have to rely on the experts to draw their conclusions.". The analysis took several weeks. The number of people is so small that we don't know how many cancers you'd expect , she said. This is only one of many, many tests that can be performed. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. This is definitely not normal," the mayor further said in the statement. First published on May 4, 2022 / 10:52 PM. "I never in my worst nightmare envisioned ever hitting this milestone. McCormac has also reached out toU.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J 6th District. A subsequent TikTok video discussing the medical mystery has also racked up more than 2.2 million viral views in just 24 hours. An investigation has . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. A part of the campus is named for Pat Barbato - a longtime football coach and athletic director. 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. Theres lots and lots of people calling me, saying, Look, I didnt go to the high school, but I live a mile away, and we call our block cancer alley,' said Lupiano. My wife had a 30-millimeter acoustic neuroma," Lupiano said. Pennsylvania police seized gloves, flashlight from home of Idaho murders suspect, CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat". Gov. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He's identifiedat least 65 people, including graduates and former staff who walked the halls of CHS from 1975 to 1995. It can seem connected, when in reality, cancer is quite common and people are simply noticing this fact. READ MORE: Former Woodbridge, N.J. resident says 65 people who either attended or worked at Colonia High School have had rare brain tumors. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. "However, I still think we need to expedite the next phase of testing including water, soil, and air, to determine if more than one contaminant is present," he said. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began investigating Colonia High School in Woodbridge when he realized several people who attended the school had rare tumors just like he had. Mitesh Kapadia moved right next to Colonia High just a few years ago. Now, he's gone public with the suggestion that Colonia could be one such site. It may be that once someone is diagnosed with cancer, they are more likely to take note of other cancer diagnoses or more likely to have conversations about cancer and realize their connections to other cancer patients, Platz said. Lupiano is wondering whether some of that soil ended up on the school grounds. If we dont find anything, we have to start looking at other potential candidates, whether its chemicals or something in the soil or air. (Al Lupiano), "[A]s of midnight Sunday 4/10, I recorded the 100th case of someone having a primary brain tumor," Luapiano said in an update on his Faceboook post. The authorities will be conducting radiological assessments across the school's 28-acre campus, including the testing of indoor air samples for radon. Researchers at Rice University are hoping to begin human clinical trials on a cancer treatment that fights the disease right at the site of the tumor. CBS News has reached out and is awaiting response from the principal of the school, superintendent and mayor as well as the Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry. That's when Lupiano started looking into the connection. The chances of one person gettingacoustic neuroma are roughly 1 in 100,000, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The four-year high school has more than 1,300 students. 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