It is his belief my wife and I may be the first documented case of spouses having an AN, both roughly the same size and on the same side of the headaccording to him, the odds are maybe 1 in a BILLION," Lupiano said. . 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. Rob Laumbach, a Rutgers University professor of public health. WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, . According to agency estimates, about 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer. DeCillis passed away at the age of 44 from a rare form of brain cancer. After his sister's death in February, Lupiano became convinced of a link between the Colonia. 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. 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. While not technically cancer, these brain tumors can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. DeCillis's four teenage daughters attend Colonia schools in Woodbridge. The canisters do not poseany danger and do not emit any substance, and are routinely used in homes, businesses and schools to collect radon measurements, township officials said. 89. The school district's superintendent, Dr. Joseph Massimino, said in March that he was waiting to hear from the environmental agencies on next steps. (Al Lupiano). "We got the state and federal agencies involved, and we're starting some testing of the grounds and the air this weekend," McCormac said. ", Colonia High School entrance. Lupiano's familiarity comes from his own experience. Views expressed by our advertisers and sponsors are their own, and are not endorsed by NJ Spotlight News. Al Lupiano first sent public nearly two months ago about concerns of a cancer cluster related to Colonia High School. "We thank Mayor McCormac [sic] and the local residents for raising these concerns and we ask for patience as we pursue the science to try to identify answers," the statement reads. 4/24 UPDATE: The radiological team charged with looking for both radiation and radon has concluded. To find something like this is a significant discovery, Dr. Sumul Raval, one of New Jerseys top neuro-oncologists, told the outlet. 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. Al Lupiano is a Colonia High School graduate and environmental scientist who was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. The plant then "decontaminated to the standards in effect at the time," though "overlooked during decontamination were traces of radioactive materials that had been carried offsite over the years by wind and rain to yards of neighboring homes," the USACE New York Division said on its website. It is possible that soil from the plant had been trucked to Colonia High School during its construction in 1967, NJ Spotlight reported. He had developed 'rare' brain tumor some 20 years ago. 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. For anothertwo decades, he held similar jobs withbig companies including Lockheed Martin. No one knows why. The work will be done in cooperation with Woodbridge School District. 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 . But he made a promise to his late sister that he would find out. He's looking for a place to host the screenings in early June and says he's had trouble working with local officials to find one. The last case was a while ago, like 2000," Kapadia said. It is now one of the hottest topics to be discussed on TikTok. His sister had recently died of cancer. 100 families having to be told the terrible news. 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. And over the last 18 years, Lupiano has worked forMarine Spill Response Corp. And he said New Jerseys Department of Health has been similarly noncommittal. This is definitely not normal," the mayor further said in the statement. Colonia High School A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. I have a really bad feeling were going to find contamination beyond the high school. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills at least 36, injures some 85, Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak, House select committee hearing paints China as a strategic antagonist, JetBlue flight forced to abort landing in close call at Logan Airport, Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Bald eagle couple lays new egg after losing eaglets two years in a row. 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. Immediately I knew exactly what I was looking at. The community suspects a cancer cluster, and would like it investigated, and I think thats a very reasonable request. 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. katherine noelle wyman; cape breton post obituaries 2022. location symbol text in word; list of female jockeys australia; mike conley house columbus ohio address "To say he was concerned when he discovered all three of us grew up in the same neighborhood is an understatement. She holds a bachelor's degree in biotechnology from theUniversity of Kentucky and master's degrees in food technology from Aarhus University and journalism from New York University. The plant received uranium, thorium and beryllium ores between the 1940s and 1967, which is the same year Colonia High School was built. "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 100 primary brain tumors have now been linked to people who graduated or taught at Colonia High. 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. 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. "They'll have the means to do air sampling, water sampling and soil sampling," Lupiano told New Jersey 101.5. Published on Apr 08, 2022 Al Lupiano and his wife, Michele, at their home in Jamesburg,. How will officials determine if a true cancer cluster exists? More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. 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. also a graduate of the high school, died recently from brain cancer. 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. Lupiano began researching to see if other Woodbridge friends and family members had been diagnosed with brain tumors. Al Lupiano, his wife Michele, and his sister Angela DeCillis all graduated from CHS between 1989 and 1995. Lupiano launched the bid after his sister passed away from the disease and his wife too was diagnosed with the exact same form of aggressive tumour glioblastoma. Asking them to be patient for several more weeks is unacceptable. The devoted brother promised his sister on her deathbed that he would get to the bottom of what was causing the apparent cancer cluster at Colonia High. Al Lupiano, 50, began investigating his alma matter of Colonia High School in Woodbridge, N.J. after his sister died of glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive and malignant brain tumor. "It needs to be investigated, no questions asked," said Elizabeth A. Platz, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Jon can be contacted by email at jonhurdle@gmail.com. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "If there's a unique exposure, we would expect a unique cancer type," Platz said. "I dont know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation, et cetera.". When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Donavyn Coffey is a Kentucky-based health and environment journalist reporting on healthcare, food systems and anything you can CRISPR. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a "very rare" and abnormally large brain tumor in 1999 when he was 27 called Acoustic Neuroma. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "I hope the results come back with absolutely nothing," he said. The City of Woodbridge has hired experts to conduct radiation tests inside school buildings and on school grounds, according to NJ Spotlight News. He's identifiedat least 65 people, including graduates and former staff who walked the halls of CHS from 1975 to 1995. Middlesex Sampling Plant to Colonia High School in New Jersey. Last year, his wife who also attended Colonia was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. 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. Now, an investigation is underway to determine if the school Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey is linked with a cancer cluster. "It seems like in a little over a 20-year period to have 65 people on a list is somewhat alarming, it's quite alarming," said the mayor, who lives blocks away from Colonia High School, but added the link only appears to pertain to people who attended or worked at the high school. For an interactive map version. Both his wife and sister were assigned the same doctor for treatment. McCormac has also reached out toU.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J 6th District. Further explanation of what occurred at that high school over these decades of people being in the building, Lupiano told Fox News Digital. 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. He died 15 years ago from brain cancer. That's what makes the numbers staggering," says Lupiano. McCormack said the town wants local and federal involvement in the investigation. "That's probably been the biggest fear of all," Lupiano said. Nearly 100 people attending a single high school in New Jersey have developed rare forms of brain cancer. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Last summer, Lupiano's wife and now-deceased sister were diagnosed with rare brain tumors on the same day. Age, exposure to radiation and family history are all risk factors. The program will take real-time measurements of radiation inside and outside the building, the town said. Colonia High School Costello-Greiner Funeral Home - Woodbridge Sunday, January 1, 2023 Add Photos Add a Memory Sandra Wilson Sandra Wilson was born to Sarah Wilson and James Bradley on November. 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. 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. For people who graduated recently, the chances of having cancer now is much lower than those in their 70s and 80s, he said. Market data provided by Factset. Like 6 Comments |. In 1999, when he was just 27, Al Lupiano was diagnosed with a "very rare" and abnormally large brain tumor for someone his age called Acoustic Neuroma (AN). The study was to see if the area possibly had radiological contaminants that would contribute to diagnoses of brain cancers and other central nervous system tumors or disorders among these alumni, teachers and current students. Since last August, Lupiano has spent countless hours trying to find other people linked to CHS with primary brain cancers. Lupiano also suggested a potential link between Colonia High School and a Middlesex, New Jersey, sampling plant in his interview with NJ Spotlight. She worked for 16 years to help other rising nurses at Rutgers and RWJ Barnabas Health. He has reached out to the state Department of Health, Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry for help which is reportedly still in the early stages, according to the CBS News report. "I have some lingering issues. McCormac said residents are expressing concerns, and the township is working to keep everyone updated. A majority of former students of Colonia High School developed glioblastoma, a rare brain tumour. "I'm getting reports of whole blocks in and around the neighborhood, that they call themselves 'Cancer Alley,'" Lupiano said. 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 which spreads to brain tissue. The mayorsays only the experts are qualifiedto make an actionable connection between the cases and CHS. "The rates are actually consistent in New Jersey with the United States," McGreevy said. All these photos are from AP and Getty publications, meaning they were used in a magazine or newspaper. for 7-year-old's rare brain cancer. Phil Murphy, whose administration has also been pushed to get more involved, recently described the tumor cluster as disturbing but echoed Woodbridge Township officials in stressing it was too soon to make definitive conclusions about the cause. Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. It's due to concerns tied to graduates or staff members with brain tumors. More: 'It can't be a coincidence': Colonia High School community probes mysterious cancer cases. The states Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette backed up the mayors declaration the school was safe. McCormac, who lives three blocks from Colonia High School,is not yet convinced of a link. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. Tripadvisor names the world's top 25 beaches, three in the U.S. "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. 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. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Head trauma could put people at higher risk of brain cancer, Actress beaten by stranger, diagnosed with brain tumor and run over by car, My wife thought she had baby brain it was deadly cancer, My face is melting off due to a rare disease, Chill Hip hop 37(932007) 212soundworks, American Association of Neurological Surgeons. "I talked to him a little bit and learned about what he had been working on," McCormactoldNew Jersey 101.5. But public health experts are cautioning against deeming the tumor cases a "cancer cluster" just yet. Lupiano told NJ Spotlight News that the school is located less than 12 miles from the Middlesex Sampling Plant a site that was used, under the direction of theManhattan Project, to crush, dry, store, package and ship uranium ore for the development of the atomic bomb. The EPA says that inhaling radon for a long time increases your risk of lung cancer. 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. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Many of the former staff and teachers included in the total lived outside Woodbridge Township making the high school, so far, the only clear link. Updated on: May 4, 2022 / 11:30 PM On Tuesday after a public push by Lupiano local officials approved an emergency probe of the school. "I will not rest until I have answers," the 50-year-old told NJ.com. I still dont know what Im going to do with my kids, Komorek told NJ.com. We've received your submission. A copy of Lupianos list, with the names and phone numbers of victims redacted, includes some who, like Lupiano himself, graduated decades ago. A mystery in Colonia 94 people from 1 N.J. high school developed brain tumors. Colonia High School (Google Maps) Middlesex County's Colonia High School, located in Woodbridge, has made national headlines in recent weeks after over 100 former students and faculty. . A 2012 study in the journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology demonstrates how tricky it can be to confirm a cancer cluster. An environmental study of Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey that took place after 94 former students and staff developed brain tumors found no evidence of "cancer . Outdoors, radon disperses rapidly and, generally, is not a health issue. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, He thinks the cases stem from contaminated soil, but there's no data to prove that at this point. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I've tried to give back over the last 20 years.". An investigation has been launched after more than 100 people who attended a high school in New Jersey appeared to contract a rare cancer. DeCillis earned her doctorate of nursing practice from Rutgers Universityin 2015. The disturbing development came to the fore after one of the former students Al Lupiano - a cancer survivor - decided to untangle the mystery. After seeing a social media post from Lupiano earlier this month, concerned residents reached out to Mayor John McCormac. "When I looked at the email and I saw the data I just dropped. 94 people from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey are part of a cancer cluster of still unknown origin. 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. His wife was similarly diagnosed with an abnormally large AN tumor, and his sister was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), which has an incident rate of 30 out of every 1 million people, Lupiano explained in a Facebook post that he has been updating since March 7. His condition was rare, but he was successfully treated. "It's too important. Patients would be injected with a small bead the size of a pinhead - and this bead would act as a "factory," secreting a protein that gets the body's white blood cells to destroy the tumor and fight cancer. She too died last month. 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