2023 www.mycentraljersey.com. 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.. In fact, there appears to be no panic at this school over the brain tumor reports, no one asking for transfers that Dawn or her son, John, know about. Theyll need to make sure that the cases are cancer and that they know the specific diagnosis. If you are concerned about a possible cancer cluster, contact your local or state health department. She declined to say how much money her family received. Testing paid for by Woodbridge is now well underway, as an increasingly large affected community waits and hopes for answers. NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery. The agencies acknowledged their concerns regarding the potential cancer cluster, but are not conducting any testing aside from radiation and radon that the Township undertook, even though the school remains open. Other agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences (NIEHS), may also help investigate. NJ High School Cancer Cluster Continues to Perplex Experts. Support our nonprofit newsroom. 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. This is something that you just dont forget.. Often theres a concern that the cancers might be caused by some type of carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) in the environment. We couldnt do what we do without our volunteers and donors. 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. Each type of cancer has its own risk factors and causes. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. 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. Why havent any environmental and health official inspected the school to determine what environmental issues should be investigated at and around the school? Suppose you took a map of the United States and started drawing random circles of different sizes in different locations. A New Jersey mom is on a mission to uncover more information that could shed light on a possible cancer cluster at her children's high school. They should at least do an initial investigation.. 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). TCE Causes Cancer; Have You Have Been Exposed? 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. True cancer clusters rarely involve more than one type of cancer. For a better-informed future. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Note that the definition of a cancer cluster does not include anything about the cancers all having a common cause. College Knowledge Lab and workshop invites: Lunch time and After School open labs are created for students completing any college/career going task (FAFSA, college applications, resumes), "Incredible community, very friendly, and have many ways to break down the steps of applying., Very fun and helpful staff; very deserving of this,, It has been a wonderful experience working with the students of Tempe High School and I cant wait to see what they continue to accomplish. 2007;115:165-171. Their commitment to students success is evident in their authentic interactions with students and families, their willingness to try new approaches, and how they collaborate with community partners like College Connect. 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., The initial investigation began several weeks ago, when 1989 graduate Al Lupiano rang the alarm bell that there seemed to be an unusual amount of cancer cases among graduates of the high school., Mr. Lupiano was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma on the left side of his brain in 1999. Based on this, most suspected clusters can be determined not to be true clusters, and no further investigation is needed. 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 . 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. For example, studying clusters ofmalignant mesotheliomaled to the discovery of the link betweenasbestosexposure and this rare cancer. 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). We encourage staff and students to wear a college shirt on Thursdays. Cancer Clusters. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2013;62(RR-08):1-14. Jon Hurdle, a freelance writer who regularly reports on water and other environmental issues, is part of the NJ Spotlight COVID-19 reporting team. The cancers are a type that is not usually seen in a certain group of people (for example, children getting a cancer usually seen in adults). 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. "So yes, we're taking this very seriously.". They really are very lax when it comes to reporting data and investigating it, and its left up to the individuals to find out about it, and its continuing today.. There can be several reasons for this. Scientists have a specific definition of a cancer cluster. "I have full faith they will get to the bottom of this and they will figure out what is going on," Genoni said. The parallels are the problems with trying to get exposure to all the organizations to try and get an investigation, he said. Kamal said there is no need for people to get screened for brain tumors unless they are experiencing unusual symptoms such as new headaches, vision problems or issues with balance. Crit Rev Toxicol. Personal phone calls were made by bilingual staff members at Tempe High School. The situation first came to light after Colonia High School alumnus Al Lupiano identified at least 104 former students and staff who suffered from rare brain tumors and cancer. Accessed at www.cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/default.htm on April 29, 2019. But in many cases, even when it seems there is a cluster, a single cause cant be found. To report that your child will be absent or late, call the Attendance Hotline: (732) 726-7040 In many cases there might not be a common cause for the cancers, but it can be hard for everyone to feel sure of that. 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. Edyta Komorek speaks to "Good Morning America" about her concerns surrounding her New Jersey township's testing following cancer cluster reports. Why hasnt the data he collected been requested and reviewed? Workplace exposures may be more likely to cause cancer because the level of exposure can be higher and might last longer than in other settings. 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. Sometimes a true cancer cluster can be confirmed, and its cause is identified. In the Colonia case, state and federal agencies are waiting on the results of radiation tests by a private contractor who was hired by the township, said Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac. Goodman M, LaKind JS, Fagliano JA, et al. If needed, the state or local health department might ask federal agencies for help with the investigation. Less often, an investigation finds a true cancer cluster, but no cause can be found. 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. Gillick, 73, said the Toms River campaign led to a clean water supply thats closely monitored. I think the story has gotten some pretty widespread coverage. Some people might be comforted if an investigation finds no clear cause for a cluster, but others might find it worrisome or frustrating. For questions or to schedule an appointment, contact the Arizona Center for Cancer Care team at 623-238-7330 or visit us at 10320 W. McDowell Rd . Apr 07, 2022, 9:05pm Updated on Apr 08, . A more in-depth investigation might include getting more thorough medical histories from affected people, as well as testing blood or other body fluid samples from both affected and non-affected people. Many in the community have been on edge for months following reports of an alleged cancer cluster possibly linked to the school. We and our children deserve more! (Also see the Additional resources section.). Look at my son, she said. In 1999, at age 27, he was diagnosed with a large, benign brain tumor. 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. 2023 American Cancer Society, Inc. All rights reserved. The number of people with rare brain tumors who either attended or worked at Colonia High School in Woodbridge has grown to 117, according to Al Lupiano who has been conducting his own research into a suspected cancer cluster. 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. Other TUHSD school also coordinate their own FAFSA and college events where all students in the district are invited to attend. 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. CORRECTION:The spelling of Lupiano has been corrected throughout this story. 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. The investigators might be able to figure out with a fair amount of certainty that there is no true cluster, or that there is a true cluster and its probably caused by a certain exposure. 2023 NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, The number of people with rare brain tumors has grown to 117. A New Jersey mom is pushing for more testing at her kids' former school. Testing to begin at Colonia HS after man discovers possible evidence of cancer cluster. 2012. As far as a common link between these tumors, a driver mutation, there is not one thread for sure., Attenello adds the news of a cancer cluster at Colonia High School has spread quickly throughout the medical community. National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia. Cancer clusters in the USA: What do the last twenty years of state and federal investigations tell us? Dozens of former teachers and students have . 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. WOODBRIDGE TWP., NJ - Testing began Today at Colonia High School. Promotion of partner events: It's important to also promote other events especially local eventsthat students can attend. Colonia graduate Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, was the first to sound the alarm about the potential cluster. 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. "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. at 212-869-3500, or contact us online for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Targeted Outreach A targeted outreach approach can be very useful. 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! The Innovative Player award recognizes Arizona high schools throughout the school year for their innovative efforts and work in FAFSA completion. There are growing concerns over a medical mystery at a New Jersey high school following dozens of diagnoses of brain tumors dating back decades. 2012. Together, were making a difference and you can, too. The American Cancer Society is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. "We should proceed with a bit of caution," said Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer of the American Cancer Society. The boundaries of the cluster area can be hard to define: Defining the geographic cluster area is not always as clear-cut as one might think it would be. 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. After the results of her own study were released, Komorek decided to transfer her daughters out of their high school and the school said they have sent Komorek's study results to state health and environmental agencies. And can the people who moved away be found? It goes on to say that we anticipate receiving results from the comprehensive testing by the end of May. The Woodbridge town council approved two emergency resolutions earlier this . At that point, steps can be taken to address it. Themed FAFSA Nights: To make FAFSA steps more fun we created themed events. Lonser adds that a lot of details are still unknown at this stage. 10? 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. There are several cases of a rare type of cancer. To do this, they might contact patients or relatives or look at medical records. Available Every Minute of Every Day. Suspected cancer clusters can be very distressing for those affected by them. These tumors, no one really knows for sure what causes them. 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. For example: McClintocks Dia de los Muertos FAFSA event was promoted to our students at Tempe High as well. "I think that air testing should be done immediately to determine whether or not there are hazardous levels of those chemicals in the indoor air," Komorek said. 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. Why havent any soil, groundwater and indoor air samples been collected to make sure no carcinogenic contaminants are present? "This is only the tip of the iceberg. 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. College Connect Tempe offers virtual and in-person workshops and 1:1 appointment. Over 100 cases of brain tumors and other cancers have been discovered in former students of Colonia High School, constituting a cancer cluster according to Stanford's Dr. Paul Graham. Social media- Instagram is used to promote events, scholarships, opportunities and to connect with students. Lupiano, unfortunately, knows the effects of the problem firsthand. April 09, 2022, 10:00 a.m. WOODBRIDGE TWP., NJ - Testing began Today at Colonia High School due to a cancer cluster of people who have worked, or attended school and are now diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. 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