Asking them to be patient for several more weeks is unacceptable. For people who graduated recently, the chances of having cancer now is much lower than those in their 70s and 80s, he said. In the United States, the rate of new cases of brain cancer or other nervous system cancer is 6.3 cases per 100,000 people per year, according to the National Institutes of Health. The City of Woodbridge has hired experts to conduct radiation tests inside school buildings and on school grounds, according to NJ Spotlight News. Even though the cluster cases ended almost two decades ago, Lupiano appears as determined as ever to uncover the cause -- and he understands that parents who send their kids to school there now may have some concerns despite what officials tell them. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 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. "We continue receiving lip service, that we're here to help, but when we look around, they are nowhere to be found.". Why? But Lupiano was not initially sure that the high school was a link to the similar yet rare brain tumor cases until he made a request on Facebook for others who attended Colonia to reach out to him personally. While benign, treatment can leave victims with hearing loss, trouble balancing, and several other serious symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. 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. "The sooner we can get them to listen to us, the sooner we can do something.". But doubts that the tumor cases represent a cancer cluster are unwarranted, said Lupiano, who predicted strong protests in the Woodbridge community if state and federal authorities dont start a formal investigation soon. In other words, they will need to prove by statistical analysis that more Colonia staff and graduates developed brain cancer than people with their same characteristics (age, sex, location) over the same time. While not technically cancer, these brain tumors can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. The announcement comes on the heels of the development that a New Jersey man who graduated from the high school that he believes is linked to a mysterious cluster of brain tumors dating back decades -- and to his own diagnosis -- says he's gotten a New York City-based foundation signed on to offer free brain scans to people in the community who may not otherwise have access. Lupiano was diagnosed in 1999 with a benign tumor known as Acoustic Neuroma. Colonia High School is now the subject of radiation detecting. "I don't know what the cause is," Lupiano said. "Al has presented enough evidence that warrants further attention, but we have to rely on the experts to draw their conclusions.". Updated on: May 4, 2022 / 11:30 PM 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. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. I will uncover the truth.. According to the National Cancer Institute, "cases of cancer can appear to cluster even when there is no connection among them." "This approach of calculating the expected number was done to provide context to . He just needs a place. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Brain cancer is rare, being detected in about one in 15,000 . According to MyCentralJersey.com, the issue stems from legal concerns over the potential risk of offering a medical procedure with which municipal officials have no experience. Fortunately one of the survivors is an environmental scientist Al Lupiano, who is bringing attention to this and he is . "If I was a parent with a child in the school, I'd be literally sick to my stomach thinking, is my child at risk right this second?" Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, "They're the only ones with the authority to do something," Lupiano told CBS2's Kevin Rincon. 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. But in 2021, his wife and sister, also. (For example, smoking increases a person's risk of lung cancer.). One former student at Colonia High School who developed a 'rare' brain tumor over 20 years ago and survived having cancer is looking to uncover the cause. In early March, Al Lupiano, 50, of Jamesburg, a 1989 Colonia High School graduate, posted on Facebook that his 44-year-old sister, Angela DeCillis, a 1995 Colonia High School graduate,died inFebruary from a rare,highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor on the left side of her brain, that had been diagnosed in August 2021. Colonia High School in New Jersey has seen more than 100 students and staff diagnosed with cancer over the last 30 years. The health department also looked at brain cancer rates for Colonia High School and compared them to rates of brain cancer throughout New Jersey and the United States. "I will not rest until I have answers," the 50-year-old told NJ.com. Rather than looking at all central nervous system cancers over 30 years, investigators will likely look at rates of specific types of brain tumors and how long after high school these tumors developed, she said. A subsequent TikTok video discussing the medical mystery has also racked up more than 2.2 million viral views in just 24 hours. In April, Woodbridge approved environmental testing at the school, but those results won't be made available until the end of June. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," he told CBS News York. Why is the cancer that killed John McCain so deadly? 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. The chances of one person gettingacoustic neuroma are roughly 1 in 100,000, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. On the exact same day, Lupianos younger sister, Angela DeCillis, another alumna of Colonia, learned that she too had brain cancer. Views expressed by our advertisers and sponsors are their own, and are not endorsed by NJ Spotlight News. 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. 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. A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. Very few achieve the label, but one of them is Toms River, where the rate of childhood cancers surged in the 1990s after the towns drinking water was contaminated with toxic chemicals from two waste dumps. 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. Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . The school has stayed open because there's no evidenced or discernible threat at this point, parents have said district officials told them, citing reports from local, state and federal investigators. Lupiano began researching to see if other Woodbridge friends and family members had been diagnosed with brain tumors. "Dozens of people have asked me to help them find a way to have a brain scan since they have been having signs and symptoms something may be wrong, but due to lack of insurance or not being able to afford the deductible, have not been able to have an MRI scan," Lupiano wrote in a Facebook post. He went on to recover from the disease. "I dont know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation, et cetera.". Janice's sister Chery Black also died from brain cancer in 2015. "The only thing that could have happened, potentially, was fill that was brought in during construction. T&M Associates of Middletown and its team of environmentalists are scheduled to begin collecting data at the high school this weekend by placing radon canisters throughout the building to collect air samples, according to township officials. The cancer was diagnosed years after these students graduated or worked at Colonia High School in Woodbridge. After nearly 100 people who attended the same New Jersey high school developed rare brain tumors, an alumnus and cancer survivor is demanding answers. McCormac speaks highly of Lupiano, who worked for nine years after college with EPA emergency responders. But the growing number of victims both alive and dead on the list dont constitute the evidence that public health experts need to determine that Colonia is a cancer cluster, said Dr. There is one well documented cause of brain tumors radiation exposure," he continued. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. This is how New Jersey saw the world from 1940-to 1980. New York, McCormac has also reached out toU.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J 6th District. And all three were diagnosed with rare forms of brain cancers or tumors on the left side of their brains. Lupiano said his teamdealt withanti-terrorism work, radioactive materials, and chemical and biological agents. But how will officials figure out if a true cancer cluster exists or if the cases are simply a coincidence? More than 120 people who attended Colonia High School in New Jersey have been diagnosed with brain tumors. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff over a 30-year period have been diagnosed with cancer and local parents say the information they're getting on the investigation. In a joint statement to CBS News, the New Jersey Department of Health and the state's Department of Environmental Protection said the agencies "are aware of the concerns raised by local residents, particularly as they relate to Colonia High School, and are partnering with Mayor McCormac and Woodbridge Township to better understand the issue and determine whether any relevant environmental exposure concerns are present at the site.". 89. Public health experts will look at the rate of brain cancer cases and investigate potential causes. Dangerous drunk driving in South Brunswick, NJ cops nearly hit, Perth Amboy, NJ super rebukes teachers union for urging student walkout, Student walkout, protest planned after Perth Amboy NJ fifth-grader stabbed, Driver flees on foot after crash kills East Windsor, NJ mom, NJ man giving massages groped women at Plainsboro gym, cops say, Perth Amboy after school stabbing leaves 11-year-old hurt, child in custody, As NJ councilwoman is laid to rest, many questions about her execution-style slaying, New Brunswick, NJ burglar repeatedly confronted by residents, Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and EEO Report. Lupiano also spoke with CBS News on Thursday, saying he now believes ionizing radiation must be responsible for the health issues. An investigation into a possible brain cancer cluster found no evidence a New Jersey school was the cause of tumors diagnosed in former students, officials declared Thursday. Lupiano says he has a solution, that he's negotiated with the Manhattan-based Brain Tumor Foundation to provide free MRI brain screenings to anyone who may want one. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. .. Advertisement .. Over 100 Former Students, Staff Of New Jersey School Get Rare Cancer, Probe Launched, S Jaishankar's "Firm" Reply To UK Minister Who Raised BBC Tax Row: Sources, Nithyananda's 'Republic Of Kailasa' At UN Meet. NY 10036. We've received your submission. Lupiano's familiarity comes from his own experience. The investigation will consider very granular data on graduates, like their occupations, family history and other activities that could affect their exposures. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. Exterior shots of Colonia High School in Colonia, NJ on Thursday, April 7, 2022. NJ high school linked to mystery cancer cases. So far, more than 2,000 people have signed a Change.org petition demanding, in part, students return to remote learning. More: 'It can't be a coincidence': Colonia High School community probes mysterious cancer cases. Twentyyears earlier, he was also diagnosed with an aggressive 36-millimeter acoustic neuroma. In a post Saturday, Lupiano said a radiological team that was looking for radiation and radon concluded their search. The number of people is so small that we don't know how many cancers you'd expect , she said. Meanwhile, the TikTok video sparked panic and a range of conspiracy-theory style comments, with people claiming mold, toxic waste, asbestos and nearby cellphone towers could all be causing the cluster. 4/24 UPDATE: The radiological team charged with looking for both radiation and radon has concluded. "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. The issue became national headline in the United States after CBS News aired a story on it. The vast majority of those who have developed brain tumors graduated between 1975 and 2000, although outliers have come as recently as a 2014 graduate, according to the Star-Ledger. A part of the campus is named for Pat Barbato - a longtime football coach and athletic director. To his knowledge, there was nothing remotely dangerous at the site. The number of reported victims has been growing since Al Lupiano, a former student in the 1980s and a cancer victim himself, appealed for names in a Facebook post on March 7. He alleges that some contaminated soil was removed from the site when it closed down in 1967 the same year Colonia High School was built. Published on Apr 08, 2022 Al Lupiano and his wife, Michele, at their home in Jamesburg,. "I talked to him a little bit and learned about what he had been working on," McCormactoldNew Jersey 101.5. 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. 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. The diagnoses include several types of primary brain tumors, including cancerous forms like glioblastoma and noncancerous yet debilitating masses such as acoustic neuromas, haemangioblastomas and meningiomas., Brain tumors at colonia high school. Age, exposure to radiation and family history are all risk factors. The disturbing development became headline news this week after CBS News took it national. The review article looked at 567 cancer cluster investigations over 20 years. DeCillis's four teenage daughters attend Colonia schools in Woodbridge. 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. The mayorsays only the experts are qualifiedto make an actionable connection between the cases and CHS. Last summer, Lupiano's wife and now-deceased sister were diagnosed with rare brain tumors on the same day. It "was an entry point for African uranium ores known as pitchblende" that were "imported for use in the nations early atomic energy program, were assayed at the Middlesex Sampling Plant and then shipped to other sites for processing," according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York Division. Support our nonprofit newsroom. Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story. Outdoors, radon disperses rapidly and, generally, is not a health issue. Lupiano began counting how many people associated with the town were effected. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. An investigation has been launched after more than 100 people who attended a high school in New Jersey appeared to contract a rare cancer. McCormac said he was very concerned to learn of the possible link. Market data provided by Factset. "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. His wife, Michelle, who also attended Colonia high, got a benign diagnosis as well, though the two came 20 years apart. 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. According to Fox News, there have been instances of both malignant and benign brain tumors being discovered in former Colonia High School attendees. By that time, we hope the federal agencies are going to take over. 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. Until then, he knew of 15 former Colonia attendees who had been diagnosed with brain tumors. COLONIA, New Jersey (WABC) -- Two environmentalists are using a GPS to test for radiation on the grounds of Colonia High School. He's identifiedat least 65 people, including graduates and former staff who walked the halls of CHS from 1975 to 1995. "This is terrific news for the current students of Colonia High School and their parents who worried about their safety, along with current staff members. Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in . He thinks the cases stem from contaminated soil, but there's no data to prove that at this point. Lupianowould liketheir investigators to come in over spring break so that students are not disturbed. But brain . Schools Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says A scientist's theory that a contaminant at the Woodbridge school is linked to 65 rare brain tumors is being taken . A copy of Lupianos list, with the names and phone numbers of victims redacted, includes some who, like Lupiano himself, graduated decades ago. "I'm getting reports of whole blocks in and around the neighborhood, that they call themselves 'Cancer Alley,'" Lupiano said. Both his wife and sister were assigned the same doctor for treatment. . Parent Edyta Komorek said she and other parents are thinking about transferring their kids to another district. If it's an ongoing issue, we may have to go through this all over again in 10 to 20 years. 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 A. I pray we find answers(as of 18:00 4/11, the list stands at 102 individuals). "I never in my worst nightmare envisioned ever hitting this milestone. He, his wife and sister were among those who were diagnosed with brain tumors. "The high school was the first thing to be there, so there was probably nothing in the ground at that time," he said. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormick told CBS New York the school, which was built in 1967, was built on "virgin land" in the woods. And it is also great news for all former students.". "It was clearly alarming enough that it merited further attention and I just helped him get that attention. Since . COLONIA, N.J. -- There is a growing push to go back to remote learning at one New Jersey high school, but not because of COVID fears. 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. All rights reserved. Normally speaking, you dont get radiation in a high school unless something is going on in that area that we dont know, Raval added, calling for an immediate investigation. "If there's a unique exposure, we would expect a unique cancer type," Platz said. "I hope the results come back with absolutely nothing," he said. First published on May 4, 2022 / 10:52 PM. 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. Find your municipality in this alphabetical list to see how its average property tax bill for 2021 compares to others. A report outlining results is expected in about a month, McCormac said. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began. Colonia Mayor John McCormac announced Thursday afternoon the results of the findings of the Environmental Assessment Study that was conducted to investigate if Colonia High School buildings and grounds. Angela M. DeCillis, a Colonia High School graduate, Class of '95. However, Lupiano is still worried about his teenage nieces attending the school. There's no proof yet that anything at CHS is the cause. He had developed 'rare' brain tumor some 20 years ago. 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. After seeing a social media post from Lupiano earlier this month, concerned residents reached out to Mayor John McCormac. In 1999 when Lupiano was 27, he too was diagnosed with a large acoustic neuroma on the left side of his brain. The question is why? We're just doing it," said Mayor John E. McCormac. Its not air. A mystery in Colonia 94 people from 1 N.J. high school developed brain tumors. 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. By April 11, he had heard from more than 100 former Colonia High School attendees who had been diagnosed with rare tumors and cancers. Despite the number of possible cases, officials say they must first determine if there is any scientific evidentiary connection between the school grounds and the brain tumors. The department declined to comment for this story. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Wired UK, Popular Science and Youth Today, among others. Without analyzing the data herself, Platz said shes not able to estimate how many of the 15,000 people who have gone through Colonia High in the past 30 years would need to have developed cancer for it to be considered a cluster. Working that out takes time, Platz said. "Her four children are potentially being exposed to the same thing that killed their mother. Al Lupiano is a Colonia High School graduate and environmental scientist who was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. WOODBRIDGE, NJ Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition demanding a more robust investigation from the state of New Jersey and the federal government regarding a possible, unconfirmed cancer. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. His sister died from it in February. The township announced results of an investigation. He accused the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry of being unresponsive to his calls for a formal probe. PROMISING CANCER VACCINE IN THE WORKS UTILIZING SIMILAR MRNA TECHNOLOGY THAT COMBATS COVID: DUKE RESEARCHERS. Lupiano was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in the late 1990s, at the age of 27. As a Rutgers University graduate with a major in environmental sciences and a minor inindustrial hygiene safety engineering, he's made a career of cleaning up unsafe sites. 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. Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. / CBS New York. My wife had a 30-millimeter acoustic neuroma," Lupiano said. "While we have not yet determined if any contaminant is present, the only link up to this point is that everyone spent a significant amount of time at the school," Lupiano wrote in his Facebook post. For now, radiation levels in and around the school are being monitored in a two-week test that began on April 9 by a private contractor hired by the municipality. Al Lupiano is among the 94 former staff and students from Colonia High School in the Woodbridge Township School District who have been stricken by the devastating diagnoses in recent years. 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. She too died last month. Lupiano said he has had meetings with county, state and federal agencies, which he said in a March 25 post "are going well.". DeCillis passed away at the age of 44 from a rare form of brain cancer. If we dont find anything, we have to start looking at other potential candidates, whether its chemicals or something in the soil or air. Tripadvisor names the world's top 25 beaches, three in the U.S. Its not something done to us due to bad habits.. Advertisement. And he said New Jerseys Department of Health has been similarly noncommittal. Woodbridge officials are now trying to determine an underlying cause for the disease. Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. According to the Mayo Clinic, an Acoustic Neuroma is a slow-growing tumor that is found on the primary nerve that . On Tuesday after a public push by Lupiano local officials approved an emergency probe of the school. Middlesex Sampling Plant to Colonia High School in New Jersey. A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. 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. All rights reserved, mysterious cluster of brain tumors dating back decades, He's looking for a place to host the screenings in early June, NJ Parents Demand Swifter Action in School Cancer Probe After 100+ Brain Tumors Diagnosed, Cancer Cluster Probe at NJ HS Underway After 100+ Diagnosed With Brain Tumors, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know, 4 Ferraris Stolen on Long Island in Service Center Heist. (Al Lupiano). Mitesh Kapadia moved right next to Colonia High just a few years ago. "I have some lingering issues. Laumbach argued that thousands of suspected cancer clusters throughout the country dont meet federal government standards for that designation even if they are investigated by public health experts. That decades-long stretch ended in the early 2000s, but recent. Heres how it works.