The last case was a while ago, like 2000," Kapadia said. Further explanation of what occurred at that high school over these decades of people being in the building, Lupiano told Fox News Digital. LOS ANGELES (AP) More than a week after Tom Sizemore suffered a brain aneurysm, a representative says the actor's family is "now deciding end of life matters." "Today, doctors informed . .. 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. According to Fox News, there have been instances of both malignant and benign brain tumors being discovered in former Colonia High School attendees. "Colonia is not a mega high school. In addition, T&M and Cabrera Services Inc, a radiological and environmental remediation company, will acquire real time radiation measurements from the interior and exterior of the building as part of an intensive survey of all 28 acres of the Colonia High School property. First published on May 4, 2022 / 10:52 PM. Michele M. Vercoski, a partner of McCune Law Group, is investigating the potential link between the rare brain tumor and many former Colonia High School students out of the MLG's office in Newark, New Jersey. The school district's superintendent, Dr. Joseph Massimino, said in March that he was waiting to hear from the environmental agencies on next steps. 94 people from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey are part of a cancer cluster of still unknown origin. 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. Earlier this year, Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and Colonia High School graduate, discovered more than 115 people who spent time at the school had a rare brain tumor. His wife graduated in 1991. One parent told the outlet she doesnt think the probe did enough testing because it didnt take water or soil samples. Check the photos below. Starting this weekend, various radiological assessments will be conducted across the schools 28-acre campus, including the testing of indoor air samples for radon. (Gosselin Funeral Home) In August 2021, DeCillis received . He says if there is something going on, he worries about all of the people that would be impacted. The city of Woodbridge says it has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for testing at a school that graduated roughly 15,000 people over the last 30 years. Al Lupiano is a Colonia High School graduate and environmental scientist who was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Frequently, in hazmat, you never find it in the first shot," Lupiano said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Jon Hurdle, a freelance writer who regularly reports on water and other environmental issues, is part of the NJ Spotlight COVID-19 reporting team. "It was clearly alarming enough that it merited further attention and I just helped him get that attention. 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. Both Lupiano, 50, and his wife Michele, 49, who is also a Colonia graduate, have acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor. (Google Maps). Radiation tests are being carried out at a New Jersey high school where over 100 former students and staff are reported to have developed brain tumors and cancerand the . The Township of Woodbridge, in cooperation with the Woodbridge Township School District, has taken the proactive initiative to contract with T&M and Cabrera Services, Inc., a nationally recognized radiological and environmental remediation company, to engage their team of environmentalists to begin collecting data at Colonia High School, the town said in a statement. "Both parents of children in school and current teachers and staff deserve answers. After nearly 100 people who attended the same New Jersey high school developed rare brain tumors, an alumnus and cancer survivor is demanding answers. 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. 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. Fortunately one of the survivors is an environmental scientist Al Lupiano, who is bringing attention to this and he is . In 1999, at age 27, he was diagnosed with a large, benign brain tumor called an acoustic neuroma. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Legal Statement. 'I will not rest until I . Discussions with that doctor about the rarity of three family members all being diagnosed with brain tumors led to Lupiano's quest for more research because radiation exposure is a well-documented cause of brain tumors. 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. 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. 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. In August 2021, DeCillis received her diagnosis of Grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive, rare, and deadly form of brain cancer. To his knowledge, there was nothing remotely dangerous at the site. 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. No one knows why. The township has filed an Open Public Records Act request with the state Department of Education to get files from 55 years ago when the school was built, the mayor said. Working that out takes time, Platz said. #braincancer #glioblastoma #braintumor #radiation #medicalmystery #doctor. "I have some lingering issues. McCormac, who lives three blocks from Colonia High School,is not yet convinced of a link. They have a lot more resources at their disposal. The mayorsays only the experts are qualifiedto make an actionable connection between the cases and CHS. New York, Last summer, Lupiano's wife and now-deceased sister were diagnosed with rare brain tumors on the same day. ", Colonia High School entrance. My wife had a 30-millimeter acoustic neuroma," Lupiano said. I will not rest until I have answers, Lupiano, 50, declared in an interview with NJ.com and the Star-Ledger on Thursday. "We're all concerned, and we all want to get to the bottom of this. 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. Im doing this not only for my wife, my sister my nieces are currently in the school but this deserves further understanding. Brain cancer is rare, being detected in about one in 15,000 . When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 100 PEOPLE WITH RARE TUMORS WHO ATTENDED SAME NEW JERSEY HIGH SCHOOL DEMAND ANSWERS The 110 people that Lupiano has counted on his list of former Colonia High School graduates have been. A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. 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. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. Advertisement. The work will be done in cooperation with Woodbridge School District. Lupiano is wondering whether some of that soil ended up on the school grounds. 100 families having to be told the terrible news. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord, according to the Mayo Clinic. After seeing a social media post from Lupiano earlier this month, concerned residents reached out to Mayor John McCormac. His sister died from it in February. 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. They will remain in place for 14 days before being sent to a lab for analysis. To confirm a true cancer cluster, epidemiologists must establish that there's a greater number of cancer cases than would be expected in a given population, based on their specific characteristics such as age, sex and geography, at a given time, Platz said. She died on Feb. 17, 2022, at 44 years old. The viral TikTok video discussing the purported cancer cluster was posted Wednesday by popular personality Dr. Joe Whittington. This is only one of many, many tests that can be performed. 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. Since last August, Lupiano has spent countless hours trying to find other people linked to CHS with primary brain cancers. 55, for example, died from glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in 2016 after graduating in 1981. He initially found 15 people, allColonia High School graduates from around 1975 to 1995, had them, he said. Al Lupiano, his wife Michele, and his sister Angela DeCillis all graduated from CHS between 1989 and 1995. The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to the school had a primary brain tumor and another 75 were diagnosed with other rare forms of cancer, according to NJ.com. Jon can be contacted by email at jonhurdle@gmail.com. WOODBRIDGE The township has approved an emergency contract of $221,350 for an engineering firm to conduct radiological assessments at Colonia High School, following a 1989 graduate's research indicating a possible link between the school and brain tumor cases among former students and staff. Like 6 Comments |. A mystery in Colonia 94 people from 1 N.J. high school developed brain tumors. 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. 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. 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, and is also great news for all former students who attended and staff who worked at Colonia High School.. 2023 NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Brain tumor victims urge federal and state authorities to probe possible link with school. In 1999 when Lupiano was 27, he too was diagnosed with a large acoustic neuroma on the left side of his brain. He's identifiedat least 65 people, including graduates and former staff who walked the halls of CHS from 1975 to 1995. 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. 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. Thats 100 people with their life forever changed. Parent Edyta Komorek said she and other parents are thinking about transferring their kids to another district. Email tips toaudrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants. Janice's sister Chery Black also died from brain cancer in 2015. Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a "very rare" and abnormally large brain tumor in 1999 when he was 27 called Acoustic Neuroma. DeCillis passed away at the age of 44 from a rare form of brain cancer. "I will not rest until I have answers," the 50-year-old told NJ.com. Jason Wisinski, who lost his wife and sister-in-law, both Colonia High alumnae, to . For a better-informed future. Since starting his research, Lupiano said that number has increased to about 90 people, including about 10 who were school staff members, some who worked in the cafeteria and others from the athletic department. DeCillis earned her doctorate of nursing practice from Rutgers Universityin 2015. Initially, he found 15 people who attended the high school and were diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, meaning a tumor that originates in the brain, according to NBC Today. Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. What I find alarming is theres truly only one environmental link to primary brain tumors, and thats ionizing radiation, he declared. Legal Statement. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. 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. More than 100 people who graduated from Colonia High School have developed brain cancer. In a post Saturday, Lupiano said a radiological team that was looking for radiation and radon concluded their search. His wife, Michelle, who also attended Colonia high, got a benign diagnosis as well, though the two came 20 years apart. And it is also great news for all former students.". The analysis was conducted after dozens of former high school students and staff over decades were diagnosed with cancers. But how will officials figure out if a true cancer cluster exists or if the cases are simply a coincidence? 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. A report outlining results is expected in about a month, McCormac said. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. COLONIA, N.J. - Radiation tests are being done at Colonia High School in New Jersey after more than 100 people were diagnosed with rare brain tumors. 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. The gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. 89. READ MORE: Former Woodbridge, N.J. resident says 65 people who either attended or worked at Colonia High School have had rare brain tumors. 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. Twentyyears earlier, he was also diagnosed with an aggressive 36-millimeter acoustic neuroma. Rob Laumbach, a Rutgers University professor of public health. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com. 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. There's no proof yet that anything at CHS is the cause. The authorities will be conducting radiological assessments across the school's 28-acre campus, including the testing of indoor air samples for radon. The mayor has reached out to the state Department of Health, Department of Environmental Protection and the Federal Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, according to CBS New York. The township and school district have had discussions and meetings with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the state Department of Health, the state Department of Environmental Protection and Rep. Frank Pallones office. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The community suspects a cancer cluster, and would like it investigated, and I think thats a very reasonable request. "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. More than 120 people who attended Colonia High School in New Jersey have been diagnosed with brain tumors. That's when Lupiano started looking into the connection. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Lupiano's sister, however, another Colonia alumnus, recently died from brain cancer -- and MyCentralJersey.com reports brother Al promised her before she died that he'd find out why the tumors were occurring in the specific community. Two weeks from now, if we dont hear anything from the federal agencies, theres going to be a lot of yelling and screaming, and the parents are going to run out of patience, he said. While not technically cancer, these brain tumors can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. 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. Make no mistake when the department believes that people are at risk we act and immediately so, he told media members. 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. What It Said, "Playing For Country": Gavaskar Blasts Gill For Calling Physio Mid-Over, Inside "World's Most Ultra-Luxury Resort", At $100,000 A Night, "I'm Not Their Target, You": Manish Sisodia's Resignation Letter, Video: Delhi Building's Dramatic Collapse After Fire, "Will Continue To Impose Sanctions On Russia": US Treasury Secretary, Chicago's 1st Openly Gay, Black Woman Mayor Loses Re-Election, Will Blow Up Mukesh Ambani, Amitabh Bachchan Bungalows, Caller To Cops, Think Tank CPR's Foreign Funding Licence Halted: "Will Explore Recourse", F1 Legend Jenson Button Breaks Guinness World Record. A copy of Lupianos list, with the names and phone numbers of victims redacted, includes some who, like Lupiano himself, graduated decades ago. Shehad been dealing with hearing loss for several years. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began. Attended Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with a large neuroma... 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