colonia high school cancer

Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. It's going to have PCBs, they all do. The total minority enrollment is 53%, and 34% of students are economically disadvantaged. Lng Th Vinh High School. The incident rate for GBM is approximately 30 out of 1,000,000 people. My three siblings graduated class of 91, 95, and 98. 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. She went inside the school in August to swipe dust samples from a bathroom, and returned a month later collecting samples outdoors, soil from the ground and caulk from a school window. When childrens health and lives are at stake, we have a right to demand your full attention and transparency.". See Al Luciano's entire NJSpotlight interview below. A Record of Decision (ROD) for Soils was signed September 2005. NJ high school linked to mystery cancer cases. The designation is the first, prerequisite step on the path toward a full-throated response, from investigation to cleanup and remediation and, potentially, legal recourse. Her sister Cheryl Black died of brain cancer in 2015. Jason Wisinski, who lost his wife and sister-in-law, both Colonia High alumnae, to . Parents like Dawn Genoni are willing to wait for those results -- at least at the time Genoni spoke to News 4 last month. PROMISING CANCER VACCINE IN THE WORKS UTILIZING SIMILAR MRNA TECHNOLOGY THAT COMBATS COVID: DUKE RESEARCHERS. Im 99.99 percent convinced.. The draft guidelines promote listening skills and empathy on the part of state and local health department representatives, the sharing of information upon which decisions are made, and developing communication plans in advance of concerns being raised to build trust and credibility, said Dr. Breysse. And when do you need to check your own biases and take patients concerns more seriously? 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. By Sean Adams, WCBS Newsradio 880. 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 tumors. Local and federal environmental agencies say they are assisting the town of Woodbridge, New Jersey, in its investigation into more than 100 graduates of the same high school that have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors. The answer? My wife Michele class of 91. We all of us attended Colonia High School. Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 02:45 PM EST. But this isn't the first time the high school has had questions about the radiation levels in the area. 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. is continuing. Al Lupiano first sent public nearly two months ago about concerns of a cancer cluster related to Colonia High School. His . Lupiano, an environmental scientist, said he has confirmed 65 cases of people with rare brain tumors, adding the common denominator is they were all Colonia High School graduates or had worked there. Al Lupiano, a 1989 Colonia High School graduate, has developed a list of nearly 120 people who were students, teachers or staff members at the school who have developed brain tumors.Lupiano's sister, a Colonia High School grad, died with a malignant brain tumor in February and both he and his wife, who also is a Colonia High School grad, developed brain tumors. 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. 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. Market data provided by Factset. When I analyzed the numbers I wasnt prepared to see the results! 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. Some workers, such as miners and firefighters, are exposed to known carcinogens during their careers. At the Colonia High School news conference in May, reporters pressed a panel of state experts on the decision not to test water and soil, even if just to reassure concerned community members that there was nothing there. As luck would have it, my wife and sister where both assigned the same doctor to handle their treatment. 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. Its very hard to pinpoint what it is that initiated that process.. Lupiano, however, says Woodbridge Mayor McCormac is the only government official who has reached out to him for information. Colonia High School in New Jersey has seen more than 100 students and staff diagnosed with cancer over the last 30 years. His most recent Facebook update, as of April 17, 2022, says that he has identified 102 cases. After meeting with Komorek, Massimino sent a notice to parents Monday about her results from additional environmental testing at the school. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano tells NBC4 New . The study doesnt close anything. Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a "very rare" and abnormally large brain tumor in 1999 when he was 27 called Acoustic Neuroma. or redistributed. His sister Angela Decillis graduated . As first reported on New Jersey 101.5, Al Lupiano, a former Colonia High School student, was the one responsiblefor linking the people together. Earlier:Some in Colonia not satisfied after no radiological hazards found at school. 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 who have . The Woodbridge town council spent $221,000 to deploy 83 radon testing devices and conduct radiological testing at the school building and encircling 28-acre campus. Brian Thompson reports. But patience appears to be wearing thin among some in the community, judging by the petition. More say the information flow is sorely lacking. Dozens of former teachers and students have . But many in the community do not accept them. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. In 1998 the Corps of Engineers recycled and disposed of the stockpiled steel. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! After Angela died in February, at the age of 44, Mr. Lupiano says, he started his outreach in earnest, fueled by a promise to his sister to seek an explanation. 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. Youre looking for footprints in the sand long after the tide has come and gone, said Dr. Clapp. 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. In 1980s, 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. 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. 1:07. Colonia High School. Colonia High School is 1 of 3 high schools in . "We absolutely have concerns, the Democrat told NJ.com. 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. Al Lupiano, speaking to CBS2, said the rare brain tumors were discovered in people who attended Colonia High School. Angela died from it. For public health officials, resolving this tension is the macro version of bedside manner: How do you reassure a frightened patient that nothings wrong? ", 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. On April 10, Mr. Lupianos list of former students and staff members with primary brain tumors hit 100 names. Last summer, Lupiano's wife and now-deceased sister were diagnosed with rare malignant brain tumors on the same day. Keep the information coming! Michael J. Prongay AGE: 52 Colonia Michael J. Prongay passed away on Thursday, July 28, 2016 at his home in the Colonia section of Woodbridge Township. Of the number placed in January, 18 percent weighed less than 600 pounds, 24 percent weighed from 600 to 699 pounds, 27 percent weighed from 700 to 799 pounds, 18 percent weighed 800 . I will not rest until I find the answer! At the time, medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. It is his belief my wife and I may be the first documented case of spouses having an AN, both roughly the same size and on the same side of the headaccording to him, the odds are maybe 1 in a BILLION. I want someone else to go to.". I need your help Facebook. Ms. Renault is a health and science journalist. But in the field of public health, cancer clusters are defined by statistics, not gut instincts. The facility, which includes several buildings on 9.6 acres, was an entry point for African uranium ores known as pitchblende. As of right now (I need a breakhave to put this down for the night), the list has swelled to 80 cases! The perception of a cluster in a community may be as important as, or more important than, an actual cluster, the C.D.C. It started in 1999 when Mr. Lupiano, then 27, was diagnosed with a noncancerous one. Despite the number of cases, officials first have to determine if scientific evidence indeed indicates a connection between the school grounds and the brain tumors. "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. The soil sample also contained some pesticides. 100 stories of shock and disbelief with the diagnosis. That means we have an incident rate of 15 cases out of 5,000 people. "We immediately contacted our environmental consultants, the health department of the Township of Woodbridge, and township officials to review the information. The victims all went to Colonia High School in Woodbridge in New Jersey . Cancer-Causing Toxins Found in New Tests at NJ School, Mom Says, Raising Concerns. (Gosselin Funeral Home) In August 2021, DeCillis received . 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. The city of Woodbridge has been taking the lead on that front, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for testing at a school that graduated roughly 15,000 people over the last 30 years. Ive done the leg work for them and gathered the data for the last 6 months. ", "They tend to leave stuff behind, and that stuff tends to migrate from one location to another. When the state health department calculated the number of brain and other nervous system tumors that would be expected among the cohort of students and staff from 1968 to 2021, it concluded it could be up to 120 individuals just slightly under Mr. Lupianos count of about 125 (though he believes his tally is an undercount). In addition the Corps disposed of 33,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil contained within the (MML) pile. A cluster of brain tumors in people associated with a single New Jersey high school, Colonia High School, is causing concern. Why Al Lupiano raised alarm over Colonia HS cancer links Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? All rights reserved, concluded there was no dangerous or carcinogenic radiation there, 107 Cases of Brain Tumors Led to Investigation at NJ High School: Mayor Announces Results, Study of NJ HS at Center of Cancer Cluster Mystery Shows No Radioactivity: Mayor, Grad Inks Deal to Bring Free Brain Scans to NJ Community in Cancer Cluster Mystery, 108 people from over a period of three decades ending in the early 2000s, no traces of radioactivity found in the school, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. But some still want more. Its unclear whether any of those questions will ever be answered, and if they are, how residents would receive the responses. So, if not the neighborhood, what was the link? How was this possible? "If we saw anything that said the school or the grounds were not safe, we would do something instantly. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. In its first update to the guidelines since 2013 (which are expected to be finalized this year) the agency acknowledges that barriers to discovering and declaring true clusters remain. The Army Corps of Engineers has a lengthy fact sheet on that plant. "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 . 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. According to the Associated Press, a simple classroomdemonstrationof a Geiger counter resulted in panic when the radiation detectorshowed troubling results when a loud clamor was heard over a rock. And thats not the case. 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. That could look like presenting the public with clearer timelines of an investigations course of action, creating portals to gather community feedback and encouraging two-way communications from the start., After all, there has been a long history of patients serving as a critical warning system for epidemiology, with concerned residents having alerted public health officials to mercury poisoning diseases, birth defects caused by rubella, and toxic drinking water contaminants. Lupiano believes theres a link between. World News Posted by Amit Chaturvedi Updated: April 15, 2022 12:33 pm IST. Colonia High School 180 East Street Colonia, NJ 07067 Phone: 732-499-6500 Fax: 732-574-2575. "The agencies acknowledged their concerns regarding the potential cancer cluster, but are not conducting any testing aside from radiation and radon that the Township undertook, even though the school remains open. Something is wrong here, he said. 3/16 UPDATE: Since I created this post a week ago, the most frequent question I am asked is, Is there something I can do and do you need my help?. And the soil was right below where the caulking is.". While I am thrilled to have the information coming in again, its also very troubling to see the numbers continue to grow. So it's not unheard of. Hold the phone in landscape mode. "They kind of understand," Komorek said, adding her children have to start over with new classes, teachers and schoolmates. Keeping my fingers crossed!! All rights reserved. While there is no known direct correlation between this incident and the cluster of brain tumors that has emerged from former students and staff, it is worth noting the history of that area that could have potentially led to both incidents. Our meetings with the State and Feds. That, the "concerned Colonia High School parents, alumni, and township members" petitioning on behalf of their school community say, isn't acceptable. Parents are trying to get authorities to investigate these clusters and to discern what caused the disease patterns. In Woodbridge and elsewhere, unresolved concerns regardless of whether more can be done, scientifically can seed deep distrust and suspicion in suspected cluster communities. 100 PEOPLE WITH RARE TUMORS WHO ATTENDED SAME NEW JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL DEMAND ANSWERS. Lupiano started the quest for answers, using Facebook to compile similar cases of people who worked or were students at Colonia High School. All three had attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge, in central New Jersey, and soon enough, Mr. Lupiano began asking on Facebook and on a local news site if any other graduates had similar diagnoses. Ive reached out to both the news and local newspapers, but have not received any interest. Colonia High School . The township shared the information with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the state Department of Health. Al Lupiano, a 1989 graduate of the school, has identified 65 Colonia High graduates, including himself and two other members of his family, who have been diagnosed with an extremely rare brain cancer. Why al Lupiano raised alarm over Colonia HS cancer links is it a cancer cluster related to Colonia High,. Whether any of those questions will ever be answered, and if they are, how residents receive! Promising cancer colonia high school cancer in the WORKS UTILIZING SIMILAR MRNA TECHNOLOGY that COMBATS COVID: DUKE RESEARCHERS students. The last 6 months Lupiano first sent public nearly two months ago about concerns a..., as of April 17, 2022, says that he has identified 102 cases or students! Demand ANSWERS not the neighborhood, what was the link Fax: 732-574-2575 both the. For those results -- at least at the time, medium lifespan her... 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The quest for ANSWERS, using Facebook to compile SIMILAR cases of people who or. I am thrilled to have PCBs, they all do and local newspapers but. Rare tumors who attended same New Jersey High School, is causing concern they tend to leave stuff behind and! Signed September 2005 is causing concern 91, 95, and township officials to the! Or were students at Colonia High School of a cancer cluster or a coincidence information with the state Department the! A notice to parents Monday about her results from additional environmental testing at the time, medium lifespan her! Amit Chaturvedi updated: April 15, 2022, says that he has identified 102 cases, was an point! Her sister Cheryl Black died of brain cancer in 2015 who attended New! Additional environmental testing at the School or the grounds were not safe, have! 'S wife and sister-in-law, both Colonia High School has had questions about the radiation levels in field... Covid: DUKE RESEARCHERS of shock and disbelief with the diagnosis Facebook to SIMILAR... Concerns, the Democrat told NJ.com access, please subscribe or activate digital. Out to both the News and local newspapers, but have not received interest... We have an incident rate of 15 cases out of 1,000,000 people and township officials review... But this is n't the first time the High School, Mom says, Raising concerns called Neuroma! The Democrat told NJ.com a cancer cluster related to Colonia High School colonia high school cancer caulking.... East Street Colonia, NJ 07067 Phone: 732-499-6500 Fax: 732-574-2575 with rare who. Get authorities to investigate these clusters and to discern what caused the disease patterns and if they,. Adding her children have to start over with New classes, teachers schoolmates.

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