The sample was collected using a laboratory-prepared hexane wipe and placed in a pre-cleaned, laboratory-provided jar, with a screw-on lid. Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Environmental scientists are investigating reports of increased instances of brain tumors at Colonia High School in New Jersey. He received his . Three of the victims are Al Lupiano, his wife Michelle, and his sister Angele Decillis. "I had told my sister from the very beginning that there was too much of a coincidence that me, my wife and her all have the same tumor," Lupiano said. Please consider subscribing to NJ.com. 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. Komorek was so alarmed by the findings that she decided to pull her daughters out of Colonia this week and enroll them in another Woodbridge high school, per the districts transfer policy. 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. Matthew Stanmyre | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, found no traces of radiological contaminants. 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. His wife graduated in 1991. The township announced results of an investigation. The community is absolutely unnerved and absolutely terrified by what's going on here. NJ cluster of brain cancer prompts investigation, We rely on your support to make local news available to all, Astoria pool will be closed this summer for renovations: Parks, Gov. That's a huge number for such a small region. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano tells NBC4 New . Brain cancer is relatively rare but very dangerous. WOODBRIDGE - Work is underway to create a portal for people with ties to Colonia High School who have developed brain tumors to share information with the New . Radiological assessments will be conducted throughout the schools 28-acre campus, as well as indoor radon testing, this coming Easter weekend, the New York Post reported. 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 . She also requested the district embark on additional environmental testing. Its not air. 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 . 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. 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. Lupiano also says people who did not attend the school but live nearby have gotten in touch with him to express their concerns. As of Thursday, Lupiano said he has confirmed 65 cases of people with rare brain tumors and they all are either Colonia High School graduates or had worked there, he says. He started researching and made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. 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, he wrote in the newsletter. When a former student at Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, realized that he, his wife and his sister all had brain tumors, he wondered if something about their high. A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. ", "Just the sheer numbers of cases he's found is staggering," McCormac continued. Mar 30, 2022 The Wanted's Tom Parker Dies at 33 After Brain Tumor Battle Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain. Lupiano has confirmed that he will not stop until he finds out what has happened here over the years at Colonia High School. Lupiano's sister passed away in February, 2022 at the young age of 44. 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. Lupiano's sister, Angela, died on February 17 from Glioblastoma Multiforme or GBM. 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. This is also great news for all former students who attended and staff to work at CHS since it opened back in 1968., McCormac said they sympathize with anyone who has experienced brain tumors and brain cancers, especially those who lost loved ones to the terrible disease, but there is no cause-and-effect relation between those illnesses and the buildings or grounds at CHS.. Is Colonia High School the cause of primary brain tumors in former students and staff from 1975 to 1995? ", ALSO READ | Onlookers urged police to charge into TX school: 'Go in there! Some are incredibly aggressive forms of cancer that need very aggressive forms of treatment. The incident rate for GBM is approximately 30 out of 1,000,000 people. Print |. The 50-year-old claims the diseases could be traced. If you are an alumni or staff member of Colonia High School and have developed a brain tumor, contact MLG today! 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). All rights reserved. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. Some are the most awful worst kinds of brain cancer. 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. She also cautioned that additional toxins could be present at the school because she described her initial testing as very limited, meaning it did not include taking air samples or probing deep into the soil or groundwater. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. As a concerned uncle and community member, I pray we find nothing, Lupiano says. pic.twitter.com/mL9bVg9nE4, Katy Tur Reports (@KatyOnMSNBC) April 1, 2022, A majority of the graduates and staff members suffering from the condition were at the school between 1975 and 2000, but some students went through the school as recently as 2014, the NY Post continued. All three have been diagnosed with a brain tumor. His sister succumbed to brain cancer. 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.. CNN's Ana Cabrera speaks to Al Lupiano, a former student. Others are benign and very slow-growing that are going to use a different kind of treatment altogether. WOODBRIDGE - Work is underway to create a portal for people with ties to Colonia High School who have developed brain tumors to share information with the New Jersey Department of Health. 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. utah778/Getty Work began on . Lupiano says that most of the people on his list were at the high school prior to 1997. Janice's sister Chery Black also died from brain cancer in 2015. All three were diagnosed with a brain tumor. Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School graduate is on a mission to answer that question after discovering more than 80 fe. 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. 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. Fortunately one of the survivors is an environmentalscientist Al Lupiano, who is bringing attention to this and he is relentlessly looking for answers. Superintendent Joseph Massiminio the district worked with representatives from the state Department of Environmental Protection, the state Department of Health, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Disease Control, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to discuss the matter, and that national firms T&M Associates and Cabrera Services were tasked with collecting data and conducting the necessary tests. But even more rare was the fact that his wife and sister later found out that they had similar medical conditions. Lupiano has found nearly 200 people with links to Colonia High School who have brain tumors or other rare cancers. Nearly 100 people attending a single high school in New Jersey have developed rare forms of brain cancer. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "I had told my sister from the very beginning that there was too much of a coincidence that me, my wife and her all have the same tumor," he said. On Feb. 17, Angela died from Glioblastoma Multiforme or GBM. Radiologic Technologist Per Diem. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. 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. How many people do we mean here? 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. It will take about two weeks. 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. He emphasized that there's no need for residents in the community to go get emergency cancer imaging scans immediately. "It's certainly concerning because the rate of primary brain tumors is certainly higher than what we would expect in the general population," said Dr. Arif Kamal, Chief Patient Officer at the American Cancer Society. His wife Michelle graduated in 1991. A video posted on TikTok video by Dr. Joe Whittington, a board-certified doctor in California gave this issue much needed public attention. My MIL died of lung cancer. This all began last year when Al Lupiano made a startling discovery. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Lupiano told CBS News New York that"Fast forward to August of last year My sister received the news she had a primary brain tumor, herself. The governor wont be embracing the bill despised by landlords and supported by tenant advocates. Kamal added that there needs to be a full investigation to understand if these cancers are linked, and if there's a specific cause. CHS is the one link of all three of them. 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 tumor, according to CBS News. Mystery as 100 people. Columns with an asterisk or 'N' indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy. 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. A A. The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox. Rohit Ranjan. All Rights Reserved. Woodbridge Township has contracted environmental engineering firm T&M Associates to carry out radiation tests at Colonia High School to investigate a possible link between the school and the reported brain tumors, according to New York news outlet WABC. He says that the evidence that Lupiano has collected is a cause for concern, which is why the city will pay for emergency testing at the school this weekend. An investigation into the possible link between Colonia High School and cancer found no radiological hazards that warranted further investigation. They all attended or worked at Colonia High School most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000. The results will then be reviewed by federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, plus the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health. He added that the Environmental Protection Agency has gotten involved in the investigation. "We're just going to wait to find out. 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. They may need to excavate soil underneath the school. As the school remains open during the investigation, some students are concerned. "In addition, DEP's further review does not indicate sources of environmental exposures of concern to public health. The city of Woodbridge, NJ is conducting an investigation after more than 100 former students and staff at the local Colonia High School were found to have developed brain . 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. Lupiano has spearheaded a public push for answers after he started a Facebook group focused on former Colonia students and the rare brain cancer, the outlet noted. And there are many different forms of these cancers. "Woodbridge Township contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the CDC, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (which is part of CDC), and the state Department of Health last week, and we've begun initial discussions with them.". 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 approximately 1975-99. Woodbridge Township is paying T&M Associates $221,350 to do the radon testing. DeCillis died in February from glioblastoma multiforme, a form of brain cancer. Both sisters were graduates of Colonia High School. The mother of two Colonia High students who believed not enough environmental testing was done in the aftermath of reports of a possible brain tumor cluster connected to the school told NJ Advance Media she has found evidence of highly toxic chemicals at Colonia through her own independent testing. The school was built in 1967 and currently serves roughly 1,300 students, the NY Post noted. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano is among 94 former students and staff from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, who have been diagnosed with rare 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. 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. 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. She made it five years," said Jason Wisinski. He was diagnosed 20 years ago. Earlier this spring . Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began researching the matter and reaching out to people on Facebook who had attended the school and been diagnosed with primary brain tumors. A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. The video has been viewed more than 3 million times.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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The soil also tested positive for excessive levels of chlordane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide all pesticides, the report said. We have to really take a look at it," said Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac. His name is on it, along with his wife and late sister. I had stage 4 cancer. Exterior shots of Colonia High School in Colonia, NJ on Thursday, April 7, 2022. I will uncover the truth," Lupiano said to NJ.com. That is the question residents are hoping to answer in the Colonia section of Woodbridge. This is definitely not normal.. The mother of two Colonia High students who believed not enough environmental testing was done in the aftermath of reports of a possible brain tumor cluster connected to the school told NJ Advance . Both parents of children in school and current teachers and staff deserve answers. I could go on. The reports have been brought to the attention of local officials who are now looking into them. Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. It's just that rare. BSN or must obtain within 3 years. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano is among 94 former students and staff from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, who have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors. A stock photo shows medical workers looking at a brain scan or brain scans. How did this incident come to light in the first place? 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