They were diagnosed on the same day last summer. Brain cancer is relatively rare but very dangerous. Then making matters even worse, the same day that Michelle Lupiano (Al's wife) was diagnosed with her brain tumor, Al's sister Angela DeCillis was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. 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. "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. On the National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions, tumors in the brain and nervous system rank 19th in terms of case rate but 5th-lowest in terms of the chances of survival. In May, the district and state announced an environmental assessment of all 28 acres in and around Colonia found no traces of radiological contaminants and the school was deemed safe for students and staff. Lupiano said the rarity of the brain tumors raised concerns of the neurologist they shared since they all grew up in relatively the same neighborhood. A Colonia High School alum said he found 107 people with brain tumors who went to or worked at the school. They said they took your temperature. 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. 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. The action (should) be undertaken immediately, due to high exceedances of the State and Federal regulatory standards for PCBs and pesticides, as well as the fact that PCBs and chlordane inhalation may be occurring by students and staff, Komorek stated in a letter to district officials. I could go on. Newsweek has reached out to Colonia High School and McCormac. Kamal added that there needs to be a full investigation to understand if these cancers are linked, and if there's a specific cause. A video posted on TikTok video by Dr. Joe Whittington, a board-certified doctor in California gave this issue much needed public attention. All three were diagnosed with a brain tumor. 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. The governor wont be embracing the bill despised by landlords and supported by tenant advocates. "When I started looking into it, I quickly amassed 15 of our classmates with these rare brain tumors," he told NewsNation. This is when a low-level radioactive rock was found and removed from the school grounds. But public health experts are cautioning against deeming the tumor cases a "cancer cluster" just yet. ", "We are taking this incredibly seriously," Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac told Patch earlier this April, saying that he finds Lupiano's theory "quite credible and legitimate. 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. Komorek said the results of her testing indicate state environmental officials should conduct further tests of the air, soil and building compounds at Colonia. Luciano has reported his findings to Colonia High School. I just felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions regarding the school, Komorek told NJ Advance Media. And today we now stand at 117 individuals with primary brain tumors, and another 70 with very rare cancers.". "In addition, DEP's further review does not indicate sources of environmental exposures of concern to public health. Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, Belvidere Jeep assembly plant shut down indefinitely, Chicago Weather: Cloudy and much cooler Thursday. 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. A graduate as recent as 2014 was found to have a primary brain tumor. Copyright 2023 WABC-TV. Federal agencies are also assisting in the investigation. A stock photo shows medical workers looking at a brain scan or brain scans. Fortunately one of the survivors is an environmentalscientist Al Lupiano, who is bringing attention to this and he is relentlessly looking for answers. Phil Murphy was asked by reporters for his thoughts on the possible brain cancer cluster at Colonia High. It's not air. Colonia is not a mega high school. Both sisters were graduates of Colonia High School. Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com. "They are working with the Township to review the test findings and prepare a course of action if necessary.". That is the conclusion federal, state, county and township officials concluded after weeks of radiological testing inside and outside of school grounds in April and May. While Lupianos wife Michele is still undergoing treatment, his sister Angela died in February, just months after her diagnosis. Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. 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. These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals.. 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.". What I find alarming is theres truly only one environmental link to primary brain tumors and thats ionizing radiation. 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. WOODBRIDGE, NJ Air quality testing is being done at Colonia High School this week, while the Woodbridge school district is closed for spring break. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," Lupiano said. SOURCES:PEOPLE Magazine, CBS News New York, New York Post, NJ.com &Dr. Joe Whittington. A soil sample taken from near the northern wall of the school similarly indicated PCBs concentration of 575 mg/kg, exceeding the New Jersey Soil Remediation Standard. Thanks to social media, Lupiano found a total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors - about half are cancerous. She also requested the district embark on additional environmental testing. "I need your help Facebook. All rights reserved (About Us). Colonia High School is now the. Lupiano also lost his younger sister to the disease in February at the age of 44, the outlet continued. National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions. At that time, I only had 15 people on the list, and I decided after grieving for a few weeksit was time now to go public and ask people to help me.. Theyre testing the air for radon. A comprehensive investigation of soil, indoor air, and groundwater shall be conducted to determine if children and staff are exposed to unhealthy levels of toxins other than already identified PCBs and pesticides., In his letter to the parents in the school district, Massimino wrote: Nothing in the newly reported information has any bearing on the prior studies which determined last spring that no radiation was found inside or outside of Colonia High School. A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. The Anti-Defamation League said the phrase at the center of the question was popularized as a trolling campaign by members of 4chan a notorious anonymous message board and was adopted by . Advocates, for months, implored state and local officials to undertake more testing. 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. Obviously, everyone's praying and hoping for the best," said Colonia High School junior Julia Pagnozzi. 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. Stanmyre joined WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to explain the latest on these cases and what the investigation could entail. A A. At the time, medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. Its not something in soil. Correction 04/26/2022 9.51 a.m. Since March . Advertisement. Its not something done to us due to bad habits, Lupiano told CBS News. Middlesex County's Colonia High School, located in Woodbridge, has made national headlines in recent weeks after over 100 former students and faculty were found to have been diagnosed with. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Al Lupiano revealed he had a brain tumor 20 years ago, before his wife had one and so did his sister - who died in February aged just 44. He received his . Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Earlier this spring . The lists, which are sorted by county and include a separate list for charter schools, also include a second graduation rate, which excludes students whose special education IEPs allow them to qualify for diplomas despite not meeting typical coursework and attendance requirements. I had stage 4 cancer. "It's not something done to us due to bad habits, said Lupiano. That is the question residents are hoping to answer in the Colonia section of Woodbridge. Unfortunately, that didnt happen.. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. He is keeping a list. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He started researching and made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Concerns were raised by Al Lupiano, a 1989 graduate of Colonia High School, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor along with his wife Michele and sister Angela DeCillis, both of whom had also attended the school. But we'd love to be able to rule out the school.". McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. "What I find alarming is there's truly only one environmental link to primary brain tumors and that's ionizing radiation, said Lupiano. Lupiano was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) when he was 27 years old, about 25 years ago. The school campus is just under 12 miles from the Middlesex Sampling Plant, which was used to crush, cry, store, package and ship uranium ore during the development of the atomic bomb under direction from the Manhattan Project, the outlet continued. 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. The sample was collected using a laboratory-prepared hexane wipe and placed in a pre-cleaned, laboratory-provided jar, with a screw-on lid. His wife and sister found out on the same day last August - two hours apart. Some are incredibly aggressive forms of cancer that need very aggressive forms of treatment. Environmental scientists are investigating reports of increased instances of brain tumors at Colonia High School in New Jersey. He said in 40 years of neurology, he had never heard of a married couple that both had the same type of primary brain tumor. Lupiano's sister, Angela, died on February 17 from Glioblastoma Multiforme or GBM. Image: Unsplash. He found a total of 104 former students and faculty, and about half were cancerous. "Colonia is not a mega high school. Would they just end it at that?. Our journalism needs your support. At the time, the medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. 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