Lupiano, an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, believed it was a pattern. Since March . Before National Geographic, he worked for more than four years at PBS NewsHour, where he co-created anaward-winning video series named ScienceScope. Also, just on Monday Gov. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano tells NBC4 New . She loves a good music pun and wakes up very very early. Some of these are non-cancerous, yet very debilitating forms of brain tumor. Colonia High School: Environmentalists determining possible link between New Jersey school and brain tumors - ABC7 Chicago tumor Former students wonder if their brain tumors are. When he started digging and looking for a link, the common link was Colonia High School. 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. That's what makes the numbers staggering," says Lupiano. There could be a real problem here, and our residents deserve to know if there are any dangers, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac said, according to the outlet. Woodbridge Township is paying T&M Associates $221,350 to do the radon testing. "We're going to test and hope we find nothing," McCormac previously said. Find NJ.com on Faceboo. "That started setting off bells and whistles in my head.". Again too early to tell yet, I think, to draw any definitive conclusions.". Komorek, Lupiano and several other parents criticized the assessment which did not include taking soil or water samples for not being thorough enough to put their minds at ease, despite assurances from state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette. 2023 New York Public Radio. 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. 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 cases. 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. Medical experts are urging caution but also advising that there is no need for residents to panic. Township officials have posted the radiological reports on the township website at www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, Lawrence Township League of Women Voters announces 2022 leadership award winners, No criminal charges for Hillsborough police officer in 2021 fatal shooting, Vigil marks one-year anniversary of Ukrainian War. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. "In conclusion, the results of the radiological investigation at the high school and grounds are within the normal variation of background radiation levels in New Jersey and are therefore not indicative of concern over radiological exposure to individuals at the site," state DEP Commisioner Shawn LaTourette wrote in a letter to the township. Additionally, T&M Associates has begun conducting historic site research to obtain any and all necessary records related to the construction of Colonia High School when it was built in 1967, through to the present. We contacted the author of the post, former student and former resident Al Lupiano, and offered to help, McCormac said. "My wife fought like crazy. Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media. Job in West Orange - Essex County - NJ New Jersey - USA , 07052. Her sister, Cheryl Black also died from brain cancer in 2015. Nsikan runs the health and science desk at WNYC/Gothamist. 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. Its not something done to us due to bad habits, Lupiano told CBS News. All Rights Reserved. Lupiano, his wife and his sister all Colonia High grads were all diagnosed with rare brain tumors. Rohit Ranjan. Hochul deflects when asked about 'good cause' eviction bill, Judge: Former coach's discrimination lawsuit against New York Giants and NFL can proceed, Supreme Court justices pour water on NYs push to save mob-busting seaport watchdog, NJ Legislature OKs bill to make landlords, sellers warn residents about past floods. Print |. 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. But according to the new results, the school currently poses no danger. 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. 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. Radiology, Allied Health, Radiologic Technologist, Neurophysiology. Since . What treatments are available for the afflicted? They are leaving radon canisters at the school for 14 days, which will test for elevated levels of radon. What I find alarming is theres truly only one environmental link to primary brain tumors and thats ionizing radiation. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, said Lupiano. The soil also tested positive for excessive levels of chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide all pesticides, the report said. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist,. Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, Belvidere Jeep assembly plant shut down indefinitely, Chicago Weather: Cloudy and much cooler Thursday. Both had graduated from Colonia High School, the news outlet reported. I will not rest until I have answers. Thats what makes the numbers staggering, says Lupiano. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. Immediate action from our State and Federal agencies is warranted, Lupiano said. 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. The institute predicts about 290,000 people will develop breast cancer in 2022 compared to 25,000 for brain cancer. His name is on it, along with his wife and late sister. "In addition, DEP's further review does not indicate sources of environmental exposures of concern to public health. Brain cancer is relatively rare but very dangerous. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day, I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. Its not air. The cause hasn't been discovered yet, but some researchers suspect . They said it was about a one in a billion odds. Lupiano's sister passed away in February, 2022 at the young age of 44. As a scientist, I want to find answers. 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. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 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. 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. 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. Dating back decades, newly detailed reports of more than 100 cases of brain tumors among former students and staff at Colonia High School in Woodbridge have raised obvious concerns. Dozens of former teachers and. 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.. CNN's Ana Cabrera speaks to Al Lupiano, a former student. Angela has four daughters who have or will go to Colonia High School. They learned of their tumors eight days apart. The incident rate for GBM is approximately 30 out of 1,000,000 people. He is keeping a list. Both parents of children in school and current teachers and staff deserve answers. katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address But we'd love to be able to rule out the school.". Kamal added that there needs to be a full investigation to understand if these cancers are linked, and if there's a specific cause. But even more rare was the fact that his wife and sister later found out that they had similar medical conditions. The school was built in 1967 and currently serves roughly 1,300 students, the NY Post noted. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. Jason Wisinski lost his wife, Janice, 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. One former student, Al Lupiano, 50, was diagnosed with brain tumors in the 1990s but subsequently recovered, according to NJ.com. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. In his first public comments on the matter, Murphy told reporters he is taking this issue "very seriously," but also cautioned: "I don't know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation," Murphy said, according to 101.5. 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. 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. "My wife fought like crazy. Most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000, said Matthew Stanmyre with NJ Advance Media, who broke the news. Unfortunately, hers was terminal, and she died in February. Exterior shots of Colonia High School in Colonia, NJ on Thursday, April 7, 2022. The testers are specifically testing for radon levels in the air after 1989 Colonia High School grad Al Lupiano proposed this theory that he found an unusually high number of brain cancers and brain tumors, and said they could be linked to the high school. In a statement to CBS News, Lupiano said he is anxiously awaiting the results of the two-week-long radiological survey which concluded this weekend and he anticipates he will receive the results in weeks. Theyre testing the air for radon. The testing was prompted after township officials learned of various social media posts related to several instances of brain tumors and brain cancer among students and faculty of CHS from . What would you do if you went to the doctor, you arent feeling well, asked Matthew DeCillis, whose wife, Angela, died from a brain tumor in February. The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%. Here are the details: The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. Lupiano also lost his younger sister to the disease in February at the age of 44, the outlet continued. The school is expected to remain open during this time. Lupiano said he started searching for instances of Colonia High graduates having brain tumors and was stunned to discover 15 people in total, with two newly discovered cases pending further . The ground and air testing will begin on Saturday. Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 1999. Luciano has reported his findings to Colonia High School. Its not something in soil. There have been some outlier cases. Youre 98.6, youre fine, go home. Is Colonia High School the cause of primary brain tumors in former students and staff from 1975 to 1995? He said, What are the odds of this? It's exceeding one in a billion that three people this closely tied together would all have brain tumors. . "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," Lupiano said. 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. Listing for: Select Medical Corporation. His wife. utah778/Getty Work began on . 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 . Some are the most awful worst kinds of brain cancer. Through his posts, Lupiano, CHS Class of 1989, wanted to find out if CHS is the cause of primary brain tumors that have affected more than 100 former students and staff. 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. McCormac previously said he also expects the ground and soil around Colonia High School will be tested, along with the air inside the high school building. The municipal council in Woodbridge, which oversees Colonia High School, approved an emergency contract earlier this month to start radiological testing of the grounds at the high school. Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. We have to really take a look at it," said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac. It should also be noted that not all the reports of primary brain tumors are cancerous. He made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. If you are an alumni or staff member of Colonia High School and have developed a brain tumor, contact MLG today! They said they took your temperature. Would they just end it at that?. (Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media). 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. Earlier this year, 1989 Colonia High School graduate Al Lupiano developed a list of more than 120 people who were students, teachers or staff members at the school from the 1970s to 1990s. 100 former students, staff of Colonia High School in New Jersey say they have rare brain tumors. Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac told WABC that the situation was "alarming because there are just so many people with a tumormalignant or benign, and it's serious.". Lupiano's sister, Angela, died on February 17 from Glioblastoma Multiforme or GBM. The pool is getting a new liner, gutter and deck, along with new filtration systems. 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. Please consider subscribing to NJ.com. 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. In a Facebook post, Lupiano said the battle over whats affecting hundreds of CHS alumni, teachers and staff is not over with the help of renowned doctors and scientists., He called the data presented at the press conference flawed.. "When I started looking into it, I quickly amassed 15 of our classmates with these rare brain tumors," he told NewsNation. "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. He found a total of 104 former students and faculty, and about half were cancerous. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. 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. 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 of brain tumors, cancers, and other central nervous disorders in former students and staff members. The conversation is available below. All rights reserved. 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. There's a vast array of treatments, but again, we're dealing with so many different types of primary brain tumors here that they're all treated very differently. Its not contaminated water. DeCillis died in February from glioblastoma multiforme, a form of brain cancer. ", "Just the sheer numbers of cases he's found is staggering," McCormac continued. This is the preliminary step that they're taking to see if they can find anything. At the time of the CBS interview in late March, Lupiano claimed to have confirmed 65 cases of rare brain tumors, all affecting people who either attended or worked at Colonia High School. Jason Wisinksi lost his wife Janice 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. 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. How did this incident come to light in the first place? In 1999, when he was just 27, Al. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. They all attended or worked at Colonia High School most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000. 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. As a concerned uncle and community member, I pray we find nothing, Lupiano says. The township announced results of an investigation. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Colonia High School A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. By Sean Adams, WCBS Newsradio 880. Is the school built on some kind of a dumpsite? No one knows exactly what it is. "I am beyond pleased to announce that after an extensive field investigation that included assessing the classrooms, school building materials, and the entire 28 acres of the Colonia High School campus, no radiological hazards were identified that warrant further investigation," he wrote in a letter to families. Asking them to be patient for several more weeks is unacceptable. The governor wont be embracing the bill despised by landlords and supported by tenant advocates. The reports he got back were startling, and he saw patterns emerging. The New Jersey state Department of Health. Friday, April 22, 2022. A Colonia High School alum said he found 107 people with brain tumors who went to or worked at the school. Advocates, for months, implored state and local officials to undertake more testing. 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