colonia high school cancer cluster

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.. She declined to say how much money her family received. After some digging, a man who attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, discovered more than 100 former students and staff members had been diagnosed with the same sort of brain tumor diagnosed in his wife, his sister and himself. Stay with MyCentralJersey.com for updates. allegations the school had radiological hazards that may have contributed to diagnoses of brain tumors, cancers and other central nervous disorders in former students and staff members, 'It can't be a coincidence': Colonia High School community probes mysterious cancer cases, Location sought for brain scans in wake of alleged cancer cluster tied to Colonia High School, Colonia High School cancer probe catches NJ Department of Health attention, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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.. "I would tell residents to trust the process here," Kamal told ABC News. some factors that do not support the need for further investigation include: If the health department feels that the potential cluster should be studied further, they will collect more information. "So yes, we're taking this very seriously.". College Connect Tempe offers virtual and in-person workshops and 1:1 appointment. "It was shock," Al Lupiano, a former student, told "GMA" at the time. Mark Cuker, an environmental attorney who represented the Toms River families, urged investigators at Colonia to consider all options, not just obvious possible causes, in seeking an explanation for the brain tumors. Should it include only the local neighborhood where most of the cases were found? By making classroom visits students obtain the tools they need to start completing tasks like exploring colleges, careers, scheduling appointments with college representatives: Thursdays - college T-shirt Spirit Day! Even though Colonia may not yet meet the scientific definition of a cancer cluster, Cuker said that should not stop officials investigating what he called an astounding number of reported brain tumor cases. He has also lost the sight in one eye, and is hearing-impaired, but is smart and funny, with a strong will to live. This is something that you just dont forget.. "Everybody concluded that there was no need for further testing and that the grounds and the buildings were 100% safe," Woodbridge Township Mayor John E. McCormac said after the investigation. Because of this, it might be important to see if the people affected by the cancer shared some common exposure in the past (and not necessarily the present). 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. Just how big should the bulls eye be? Its unlikely that everyone exposed will develop cancer. 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. Credit: (Robert Brainz via Flickr/2.0 Generic/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), More cases in Colonia High school suspected cancer cluster, State, federal health agencies wait for Woodbridge radiation tests, Colonia High School graduate suggests cancer cases linked to school. Frequently, in hazmat, you never find it in the first shot," Lupiano said. Based on this, most suspected clusters can be determined not to be true clusters, and no further investigation is needed. That approach, he said, led to the identification of a chemical that no one had ever heard of as the cause of many cancer cases in Toms River. While both the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency are expressing concern, theyre waiting for the testing to be complete. In conclusion, the results of the radiological investigation at the high schooland grounds are within the normal variation of background radiation levels inNew Jersey and are therefore not indicative of concern over radiologicalexposure to individuals at the site. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Cancer Facts & Figures 2019.Atlanta, GA, 2019. Other agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences (NIEHS), may also help investigate. CORRECTION:The spelling of Lupiano has been corrected throughout this story. 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. To see if there is a greater number of cancers than expected, the number of cases seen needs to be compared to what would typically be seen in a similar group of people such as a group with the same age, gender, and ethnicity. Even if statistics show that it may be a true cluster, its important to know that its very rare that a cause is found. Why has no one attempted to contact the individual who brought the potential cancer cluster to light? 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. About 1,000 suspected cancer clusters are reported to state health departments each year. We insist on more action from the CDC, NJDOH and NJDEP. ABC News' Dr. Joy Liu contributed to this report. American Cancer Society. Gillicks son Michael, now 43, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nervous system, when he was 3 months old, and now has health problems including a massive tumor in his thoracic cavity that pushes on his spine and prevents him from sitting for long, his mother said. Read Newsmax Terms and Conditions of Service. About half of the cases had been determined to be cancerous. Is Colonia High School the next Toms River? Gillick, who founded and still chairs the Citizens Action Committee on Childhood Cancer Cluster, rejected arguments by some health experts that there isnt enough evidence so far to label Colonia a cancer cluster a designation that is rarely upheld by public health authorities despite there being many sites suspected of meeting the definition. And what did the people with cancer have in common during that time? Exposures are very unlikely to cause cancers right away. Lupiano, unfortunately, knows the effects of the problem firsthand. Federal and state health agencies are waiting on the result of tests for radiation at Colonia High School in Woodbridge as officials look for causes of a suspected "cancer cluster" among former students and staff, the town's mayor said Monday. Anenvironmental assessment was undertakento investigate concerns that the school buildings and grounds contained radiological contaminants that would contribute to diagnoses of brain cancers and other central nervous system tumors or disorders among former alumni, teachers and students. The longer ago this was, the harder this might be to determine. "I said, 'What is the likelihood that a husband and wife can both have an acoustic neuroma?' The American Cancer Society is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Lupiano is also the whistleblower who discovered a possible cancer cluster in graduates and educators from the high school. WOODBRIDGE TWP., NJ - Testing began Today at Colonia High School. 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. The cancers should either be all of the same type or types of cancer that are known to have the same cause. Hes dying to live, not living to die, she said. These factors need to be taken into account when determining if there are more than the expected number of cancers in a group of people. It draws our attention because this story is not usual and theres a part of me, and others, who want to help drill down what is causing this.. 2023 American Cancer Society, Inc. All rights reserved. Well over a million new cancers are diagnosed every year in the United States alone, and nearly 4 out of 10 people in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes. But just what is a cancer cluster? 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. They should at least do an initial investigation.. Although there was public pressure on the state to investigate child cancer cases in Toms River, it was the victims families who did the research to show the pattern of illness in the community, Kotran said. Lupiano is also the whistleblower who discovered a possible cancer cluster in graduates and educators from the high school. Atlanta, GA, 2019. 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 . Cancer cluster investigations: Review of the past and proposals for the future. It goes on to say that we anticipate receiving results from the comprehensive testing by the end of May. If the excess cases of cancer dont seem to be random, they might need to be looked at more closely to find out if they might have a common cause. 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. They should let the authorities know that they want answers because without the public outcry there is not going to be the pressure thats needed to make this right, she said. We couldnt do what we do without our volunteers and donors. As soon as they found this goop was in the water, they immediately shut down those wells, and from that day on the rate of childhood cancer in Toms River began to decline, he said. Accessed at www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/cancer-clusters-fact-sheet on April 29, 2019. Each part of this definition is important. Superintendent of Schools Joseph Massimino announced the findings Thursday in a letter to township families, following allegations the school had radiological hazards that may have contributed to diagnoses of brain tumors, cancers and other central nervous disorders in former students and staff members. 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. But in many cases, even when it seems there is a cluster, a single cause cant be found. For example, there are exceptions, but for most cancers linked to environmental causes, theres often a delay of many years (even decades) between the time of exposure and when the cancer first appears. "I have full faith they will get to the bottom of this and they will figure out what is going on," Genoni said. Colonia High School in Colonia, New Jersey. More cancer cases in the United States are expected in large population centers or in places where the population tends to be older. (Also see the Additional resources section.). At that point, steps can be taken to address it. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. You would find that some of the circles would contain more cancers than expected, and some would have fewer. Become a volunteer, make a tax-deductible donation, or participate in a fundraising event to help us save lives. Think about how hard it would be to test for everything youve been exposed to, even if you knew where to start. Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the township is focusing on radiation levels, rather than on drinking water that poisoned wells in the Shore town. An update on cancer cluster activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the hope of finding out whether the Colonia brain tumor cases are linked to a common environmental cause, the community there should press public agencies to act quickly, she said. Random patterns are the most common reason for a cancer cluster with no identified cause. Robert Miller The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to the. College Connect Tempe also enters all student attendees into a $1000 scholarship drawing for attending workshops acting as an incentive for students. 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. Cancer Information, Answers, and Hope. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Environ Health Perspect. Procedures vary by state, but most health departments will first ask for information, such as: When a cancer cluster is reported, the health department will first review the initial information provided. 20? Even though thorough investigations of potential cancer clusters often dont give clear-cut answers, its important that communities keep reporting suspected cancer clusters, and that health organizations respond to these concerns. Was it a single event or has it been ongoing? . Its very important that government agencies keep members of the community informed from the start of and throughout the investigation. Be to determine. `` we insist on more action from the start of and throughout the was! A single event or has it been ongoing test for everything youve been exposed to even! Was jumpstarted after it was shock, '' Lupiano said it was discovered more 122 people connected! 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