"They are working with the Township to review the test findings and prepare a course of action if necessary.". 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. "I had recalled two family friends, the Black sisters, had also passed of these brain tumors," Lupiano said. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and a 1989 graduate of the N.J. high school began investigating Colonia High School in Woodbridge when he realized many others with ties to the school suffered the rare brain tumors, just like he did, 20 years ago. His wife. A total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors responded to a Facebook post. 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. Jason Wisinski is another person affected by the spate of tumor cases. She said she collected a dust sample from the top of the stall in a womens bathroom inside Colonia on Aug. 30, then sent it to a state-certified laboratory in Mountainside for testing. It should also be noted that not all the reports of primary brain tumors are cancerous. Whittington a board-certified MD in California claimed several of the brain tumors developed by ex-Colonia High staff and students are glioblastoma multiforme an aggressive cancer. His sister succumbed to brain cancer. Most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000, said Matthew Stanmyre with NJ Advance Media, who broke the news. Some are incredibly aggressive forms of cancer that need very aggressive forms of treatment. As a concerned uncle and community member, I pray we find nothing, Lupiano says. $4 Million Settlement Mass Torts $203 Million Class Action Financial Services $75 Million Class Action Mass Torts $200 Million Class Action Stanmyre joined WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to explain the latest on these cases and what the investigation could entail. Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. 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 of brain tumors, cancers, and other central nervous disorders in former students and staff members. 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. "There's lots and lots of people calling me, saying, 'Look, I didn't go to the high school, but I live a mile away, and we call our block cancer alley,'" he told Fox News. 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 . 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. Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an "extremely" rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. Jason Wisinksi lost his wife Janice 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. Nearly 100 people attending a single high school in New Jersey have developed rare forms of brain cancer. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist,. Immediate action from our State and Federal agencies is warranted, Lupiano said. His wife and sister found out on the same day last August - two hours apart. 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. 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. That is what Al Lupiano, Colonia High School (CHS) Class of 1989, wants to find out after . Pictured, a stock image of a brain scan. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. The testing actually started April 9, and testers have been seen walking around Colonia High School, taking air samples to test for radiation, said Woodbridge town spokesman John Hagerty. He shared a 2020 Emmy for the PBS NewsHour series Stopping a Killer Pandemic and in 2019 received a George FosterPeabodyAwardfor the PBS NewsHour series The Plastic Problem. Nsikan has also worked for NPR, Science News Magazine, Science Magazine, KUSP Central Coast Public Radio, the Santa Cruz Sentinel and as a writer at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University. Lupiano's sister, Angela, died on February 17 from Glioblastoma Multiforme or GBM. Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. But we'd love to be able to rule out the school.". The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. The New Jersey state Department of Health. "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. Colonia High School is now the subject of radiation detecting research. He made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. It has been lightly edited for clarity. Massimino said in the memo the district has contacted our environmental consultants, the Health Department of the Township of Woodbridge, and Township Officials to review the information. He also said the township shared the information with the State Department of Environmental Protection and the State Department of Health.. Phil Murphy was asked by reporters for his thoughts on the possible brain cancer cluster at Colonia High. I made a promise to my sister while she was dying that if something did this to us, I will find out what did it, Lupiano says. An investigation has been launched after more than 100 people who attended a high. 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. They are testing the grounds outside and inside of the high school inside. 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. Is it a cancer cluster or a coincidence? All rights reserved. On March 29, 2022, Lupiano wrote an article in a local newsletter, asking for help to identify people who developed the brain tumors, to collect data to plan further steps for answers to a probably cause. WOODBRIDGE, NJ Air quality testing is being done at Colonia High School this week, while the Woodbridge school district is closed for spring break. Earlier this year, Lupianos sister lost her battle with a very rare and highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) at age 44. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," said Lupiano. Radiologic Technologist Per Diem. 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. McCormac, along with schools Superintendent Joseph Massimino; Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; and Judith Persichilli, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, announced the results of the radiation testing during a press conference at CHS on May 26. It's just that rare. Part Time, Per diem position. Lupianos wife was also diagnosed with a brain tumor, the NY Post reported. The sample was collected using a laboratory-prepared hexane wipe and placed in a pre-cleaned, laboratory-provided jar, with a screw-on lid. United States Department of Environmental Protection. Lupiano says that most of the people on his list were at the high school prior to 1997. 3 min read. 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. I didnt feel that my kids were safe there until actual soil, groundwater and air samples were collected and nobody wanted to do it.. Rohit Ranjan. 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 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. Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac immediately and responsibly got engaged. Lupiano grew up in Woodbridge Township and he now works as an environmental scientist; he no longer lives in Woodbridge. Woodbridge Township is paying T&M Associates $221,350 to do the radon testing. All rights reserved (About Us). She made it five years," said Jason Wisinski. Lupiano also says people who did not attend the school but live nearby have gotten in touch with him to express their concerns. The township announced results of an investigation. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If you are an alumni or staff member of Colonia High School and have developed a brain tumor, contact MLG today! It will take about two weeks. Listed on 2023-03-02. He was diagnosed 20 years ago. 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. Google Maps. 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. Komorek presented her findings Monday to Woodbridge superintendent Joseph Massimino, Colonia principal Kenneth Pace and Woodbridge Education Association president Brian Geoffroy. He started researching and made a public plea on Facebook to anyone from the school who was diagnosed with primary brain tumors. The ground and air testing will begin on Saturday. Township officials have posted the radiological reports on the township website at www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us. In his first public comments on the matter, Murphy told reporters he is taking this issue "very seriously," but also cautioned: "I don't know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation," Murphy said, according to 101.5. 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.. Earlier this spring . Woodbridge Mayor John McCormick lives just a few blocks from the high school. My list quickly started multiplyingit all seemed to be linked back to the high school. Colonia High School graduateAl Lupiano talks to @KatyTurNBC about gathering names of over 80 individuals with rare brain tumors who attended the school. "What I find alarming is there's truly only one environmental link to primary brain tumors and that's ionizing radiation, said Lupiano. Colonia High School was reportedly the common denominator among those suffering from the tumors Credit: CBS NEW YORK Al Lupiano, speaking to CBS2, said the rare brain tumors were discovered in people who attended Colonia High School. McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. 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. He received his . Colonia High School: Environmentalists determining possible link between New Jersey school and brain tumors - ABC7 Chicago tumor Former students wonder if their brain tumors are. As a scientist, I want to find answers. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day - I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an extremely rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. Her sister, Cheryl Black also died from brain cancer in 2015. Donate today, Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. "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. Theyre testing the air for radon. He found a total of 104 former students and faculty, and about half were cancerous. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. Dr. Gracelyn Santos | gsantos@siadvance.com. All three were diagnosed with a brain tumor. "It is also important to note that the data compiled and posted to social media by Mr. Lupiano has yet to be evaluated and verified by any federal, state, county or municipal agency with competent jurisdiction to fully vet and verify his research. They may need to excavate soil underneath the school. "My wife fought like crazy. He told WABC that he lost his wife Janice to an inoperable brain tumor 10 years ago and that her sister Cheryl died from brain cancer in 2015. 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. WOODBRIDGE Levels of radiation in and around Colonia High School were found to be consistent with typical background levels of radiation found in New Jersey and no further testing is warranted. ", First Patch report: Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says, Get great local news about YOUR town and state. He is keeping a list. Last year, Lupianos wife and sister also developed brain tumors, as first reported byCBS New York. 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. The incident rate for GBM is approximately 30 out of 1,000,000 people. WWE Star Sonya Deville Arrested In Atlantic City On Gun Charge, Atlantic City Official & Council Candidate Facing Assault Charge, Former Press of Atlantic City Office Building To Get New Purpose, Atlantic City Area Residents Share Favorite Childhood Memories, Atlantic City, NJ Mayor Leading Free Resident Credit Repair Effort, Atlantic City, NJ Area Great Hurricane Of 1944 (AMAZING PHOTOS), Atlantic Citys Chris Ford Proved That Nice Guys Finish First, NJ Author Discusses What We Can Do to Address Bullying in Schools. So, would you take us through what is known so far about this cluster? These tumors are even more rare occurring in 10 out of 1,000,000 individuals.. 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. 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. SOURCES:PEOPLE Magazine, CBS News New York, New York Post, NJ.com &Dr. Joe Whittington. Lupianos 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. I will not rest until I have answers. Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. 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 . While Lupianos wife Michele is still undergoing treatment, his sister Angela died in February, just months after her diagnosis. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Some are the most awful worst kinds of brain cancer. His wife graduated in 1991. Both sisters graduated from Colonia High School, just like Al Lupiano in 1989, his wife Michelle in 1991, and his sister, Angela Decillis in 1995. Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023. Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 1999. Listing for: Select Medical Corporation. Alumni links 65 rare brain tumor cases to NJ high school, investigation launched. A stock photo shows medical workers looking at a brain scan or brain scans. "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. Lupiano was diagnosed with a rare and abnormally large brain tumour Acoustic Neuroma (AN) in 1999 when he was just 27 years old. One former student, Al Lupiano, 50, was diagnosed with brain tumors in the 1990s but subsequently recovered, according to NJ.com. It's not air. But even more rare was the fact that his wife and sister later found out that they had similar medical conditions. 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. Member donations register for an account through one of the cases have ties to Colonia high,. But live nearby have gotten in touch with him to express their concerns day last August - two hours.! 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