At that point, steps can be taken to address it. But many of these will be due to the bulls-eye effect (which is something like drawing a target on the wall after the darts have been thrown). According to guidelines from the CDC, The Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm is investigating a potential cancer cluster at Colonia High School in Woodbridge, NJ which may be linked to students and staff exposure to radiation on the school grounds over the past five decades.. "If we can enrich science by showing that an unknown compound is in high concentration and link it to primary brain tumors, maybe we can protect others, remove it from our environment to make sure it never happens again," he said. We can also help you find other free or low-cost resources available. TCE Causes Cancer; Have You Have Been Exposed? 2023 NewsmaxHealth. It can be very hard to figure out which of many exposures might be the cause: With rare exceptions, scientists dont have a way of telling what trigger (if any) may have caused cancer in any one person, whether its part of a cluster or not. to invite to events, remind of timeline, etc. Theyll need to make sure that the cases are cancer and that they know the specific diagnosis. If you or a loved one graduated from Colonia High School and developed cancer, we can help. In many cases, investigators can determine that a cluster of cancers isnt a true cluster. His wife, a member of the class of 1999, was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor in 2021 on the same day as Mr. Lupianos sister, Angela, who also graduated from the high school., After Angela passed away, Mr. Lupiano vowed to get answers as to what was making this community ill., Since then, at least 100 graduates from the classes of 1972 through 2000 have come forward with information regarding their extremely rare malignant brain tumors, including glioblastomas, and inexplicable cancer diagnoses.. The counselors, teaching staff and volunteers at THS go above and beyond to meet students and families where they are at. And can the people who moved away be found? The township authorized the emergency contract of more than $200,000 in April to conduct the radiological assessment of the school and grounds after Al Lupiano, of Jamesburg, a 1989 Colonia High School graduate,developed a list of more than 120 people who were students, teachers or staff members at the school who have apparently developed brain tumors. 2023 www.mycentraljersey.com. 2014;11(2):1479-1499. Moving the boundaries (for example, to make the area larger or smaller) might make it look more or less likely that a cancer cluster exists. Tax ID Number: 13-1788491. Social media- Instagram is used to promote events, scholarships, opportunities and to connect with students. Cancer doesnt affect all groups of people equally. In April, Colonia High School in Colonia, New Jersey, made national headlines after more than 100 former students and staff reported online that they had been diagnosed with brain tumors, in a period that spanned across three decades. Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. Help us end cancer as we know it,for everyone. Al Lupiano has found 107 people with primary brain tumors who all attended or worked at Colonia High School. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for cancer, brain, tumor, colonia, high school, new jersey, radiation, AT&T DirecTV Censorship of Newsmax Continues, See More Here. Jason Wisinski, who lost his wife and sister-in-law, both Colonia High alumnae, to primary malignant brain tumors at the age of 38, became one of many convinced that a cluster a hyperlocal. For example, the number of cases might not really be higher than expected once other factors that could explain the increase (such as peoples age, gender, and tobacco use) are taken into account. For example: Random patterns can form a cluster: Even if the number of cases in an area is higher than expected, it still might not be caused by a single factor or exposure. Those three compounds are known or are probable carcinogens," Komorek said. The parallels are the problems with trying to get exposure to all the organizations to try and get an investigation, he said. 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. If not, the health department will probably look into doing a brief investigation and then, if needed, will do a more complete review of the situation. Its unlikely that everyone exposed will develop cancer. This should include giving people a realistic idea of what may or may not be found. Radiation exposure is one of the biggest risk factors for brain tumors. 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. Should the cases of people who moved into town in recent years be included? Even if the excess number of cases reported in a cancer cluster looks significant based on statistics, it doesnt necessarily mean that the cancers are caused by something unique to that area. The type(s) of cancer seen is also important. 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. Goodman M, LaKind JS, Fagliano JA, et al. Benowitz S. Busting cancer clusters: Realities often differ from perceptions. Remind: Using the Remind texting platform to invite students to event and to remind students of upcoming deadlines. Hes dying to live, not living to die, she said. 2700 N. Central Ave. Suite 400 | Phoenix, AZ 85004 Workplace exposures can also be easier to identify because the group of exposed people is better defined and easier to trace as compared to groups in the community. 2012. You would find that some of the circles would contain more cancers than expected, and some would have fewer. 2007;115:165-171. Cancer mystery at NJ school More than 100 people who graduated from Colonia High School have developed brain cancer. There are reports of radiation causing these tumors at the high school, and as far as environmental exposure, radiation is the most common one, but it is still relatively low. Facebook Colonia High School A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. Jon can be contacted by email at jonhurdle@gmail.com. Should it include only the local neighborhood where most of the cases were found? There are very few direct causes to the types of brain tumors we are talking about., Dr. Frank Attenello, assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, tells Newsmax that he is similarly baffled. Investigators are looking at whether contaminated soil from the nearby Middlesex Sampling Plant, which was used under the direction of the Manhattan Project, to crush, dry, store package and ship uranium ore for the development of the atomic bomb, somehow ended up at the school grounds., Adding to suspicions that the students were exposed to radiation on the property, a grapefruit-sized radioactive rock was inadvertently found in the closet of one of the science rooms in 1997., Studies have shown that cancers associated with radiation exposure include:, Our firm is currently accepting COLONIA HIGH SCHOOL graduates who have been diagnosed with cancer on an investigatory basis as we explore what may have led to the unusually high number of cancer cases among the high schools students and staff.. Gillick said the family received financial compensation for Michaels illness as part of a settlement between 69 Toms River families and three companies held responsible for the escape of chemical waste that contaminated the towns water supply. Unfortunately, this is not a common outcome of cancer cluster investigations. To do this, they might contact patients or relatives or look at medical records. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. Frequently, in hazmat, you never find it in the first shot," Lupiano said. For most well-documented cancer clusters that have been found to be caused by a shared exposure, the exposure took place in the workplace, rather than in the communities where people lived. Scientists in the health department might also look at reports in the medical literature to see if other clusters like this have been noted in the past. 10? In addition, DEPs further review does notindicate sources of environmental exposures of concern to public health. We appreciate the NJDOH, NJDEP, ATSDR, and CDC assistance to the Woodbridge Townships environmental investigation that is currently ongoing, but strongly believe that this is not enough. Why has no one attempted to contact the individual who brought the potential cancer cluster to light? [This is] important to investigate as numbers do seem high. What does it take to outsmart cancer? Benowitz S. Busting cancer clusters: Realities often differ from perceptions. The assessment was conducted by T&M Associates, a consulting, engineering, environmental and technical services management company and Cabrera Services, a radiological and environmental remediation company which collected dates and conducted testing. Grad Inks Deal to Bring Free Brain Scans to NJ Community in Cancer Cluster Mystery More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff over a 30-year period have been diagnosed with cancer The City of Woodbridge, NJ is investigating, with Mayor John McCormac telling NBC4 that One hundred out of 15,000 have brain cancersure sounds like something we should be concerned about.. We are concerned Colonia High School parents, alumni, and township members, writing on behalf of our school community. Random patterns are the most common reason for a cancer cluster with no identified cause. "We should proceed with a bit of caution," said Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer of the American Cancer Society. Apr 07, 2022, 9:05pm Updated on Apr 08, . People are exposed to countless natural and man-made substances during their lifetimes, and to make this even more complex, these can interact with each other. Federal investigations take place: An investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency is being done to determine whether these 100-plus cases are a cancer cluster, or simply a coincidence, Fox News reported. Earlier:'It can't be a coincidence': Colonia High School community probes mysterious cancer cases, Earlier:Location sought for brain scans in wake of alleged cancer cluster tied to Colonia High School, Earlier:Colonia High School cancer probe catches NJ Department of Health attention. For example, its rare in children, and becomes more common as people age. Lupiano's sister, a Colonia High School graduate, died with a malignant brain tumor in February and both he and his wife, who also is a Colonia High School grad, developed brain tumors. at 212-869-3500, or contact us online for a free consultation to discuss your rights. For a better-informed future. The numbers have risen from around 80 to now more than 90 people with a cancer diagnosis who could be tied to a suspected cancer cluster at Colonia High School in Woodbridge. By Maxwell Newman | 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. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Environ Health Perspect. As with any random pattern, there will be more cases than expected in some spots, and fewer cases than expected in others. For more complex or urgent situations, the health department might also call in experts from the CDC or other federal agencies to help do a more in-depth investigation. These tumors, no one really knows for sure what causes them. The Woodbridge town council approved two emergency resolutions earlier this week to begin radiological assessments at the school after resident Al Lupiano alerted the mayor that there could be hazardous material on the grounds of Colonia High. To report that your child will be absent or late, call the Attendance Hotline: (732) 726-7040 Read about the FAFSA best practices that have encouraged the seniors of Independence High School to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Joanna Gagis joined the NJ Spotlight News team in 2018. Finding the one exposure that could be the cause can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Its very important that government agencies keep members of the community informed from the start of and throughout the investigation. The boundaries of the area in which to include cancer cases needs to be defined carefully. She sees that as a victory for environmental quality and human health but says shes still angry about the pollution that badly hurt her son and took the lives of some of his peers. We were just informed by the local school officials that at this time, there is no discernable health or wellness threat to students, staff, or visitors at Colonia High School and we will remain open. Cancer-Causing Toxins Found in New Tests at NJ School, Mom Says, Raising Concerns Earlier this year, officials claimed that penetrating radar tests on the grounds of Colonia High School. And what did the people with cancer have in common during that time? Themed FAFSA Nights: To make FAFSA steps more fun we created themed events. Massimino said he hopes this news gives Colonia students, families, staff members and the community an opportunity to breathe easier. The days that hes in pain, that he cant do what other children do. College Connect Tempe also enters all student attendees into a $1000 scholarship drawing for attending workshops acting as an incentive for students. Meanwhile, the City of Woodbridge is taking the lead in the investigation, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for testing at a school that graduated roughly 15,000 people over the last 30 years. "I would tell residents to trust the process here," Kamal told ABC News. We demand a public meeting during which we hope the State and Federal agencies could explain on what basis was the no discernable health or wellness threat determined, if the results of the testing are pending. People concerned about a possible cancer cluster can report it to a local or state health department. Al Lupiano, a 1989 graduate of the school, has identified 65 Colonia High graduates, including himself and two other members of his family, who have been diagnosed with an extremely rare brain cancer. Thursday, 28 April 2022 11:44 AM EDT. McCormac added that calling it a cancer cluster was "wrong." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define a cancer cluster as "a greater-than-expected number of . We and our children deserve more! All rights reserved, Nasty Winter Storm Eyes NYC Area: Heavy Rain, 40 MPH Winds, Snow Expected Over 12-Hour Siege, NJ Woman Threatens to Blow Up Home Over Eviction, Then Torches It With 30 Cats Inside: Cops, This 26-Year-Old Pays $0 to Live in a Luxury Tiny Home' She Built for $35,000 in Her Backyard Take a Look Inside. 2012. They also may want to see if there are specific cancer risk factors that affected people have in common. Based on this, most suspected clusters can be determined not to be true clusters, and no further investigation is needed. This is discussed in more detail later on. The American Cancer Society offers programs and services to help you during and after cancer treatment. Now, they are urging health officials to look into an apparent link between at least 117 reported brain tumor cases some of them fatal among students, staff and faculty who attended or were employed at Colonia High from the 1970s to 2018. Some clustering of cancer cases happens by chance, but people tend to notice and report situations where rates seem to be above average. Not everyone who is exposed is likely to develop cancer: To make things even more tricky, some people might be more or less likely to get cancer after being exposed to something, based on their genes. There are several cases of a rare type of cancer. Rarely, an investigation finds a cancer cluster where the cause can be determined. Views expressed by our advertisers and sponsors are their own, and are not endorsed by NJ Spotlight News. If theres a hundred, theres probably a heck of a lot more.. 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