colonia high school cancer cluster

To report that your child will be absent or late, call the Attendance Hotline: (732) 726-7040 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.. 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. Weve invested more than $5 billion in cancer research since 1946, all to find more and better treatments, uncover factors that may cause cancer, and improve cancer patients quality of life. American Cancer Society. However, Kamal said, it's appropriate for authorities to thoroughly investigate higher-than-expected rates of brain tumors in a community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a cancer cluster is defined as a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a geographic area over a period of time, Early information from the investigation suggests that the students at the high school may have suffered radiation exposure, although such reports are still unconfirmed., Radiological testing has begun at the school. Some of your concerns might be relieved during the initial phone call. The type(s) and number of cancers involved, Any suspected exposure(s) that might cause cancer, The area and time period in which the cases occurred, Specific information about each person thought to be affected, Specific information about the cancers themselves, Cancer cases within family members who are blood relatives (especially cancers known to be strongly genetically linked), Different types of cancers that are not known to be related to one another, A few cases of very common cancers, particularly when the people affected are of the usual age and sex for those cancers, Cancers among people who didnt live in the same area at the time an exposure would have to had taken place to cause that cancer. The American Cancer Society offers programs and services to help you during and after cancer treatment. @tempe_high_counseling, College Knowing and Going partnership - student ambassadors serve as college-going role models and help with the marketing of student events (creating posters, posting on social media). Komorek also claimed the testing results showed higher levels of compounds that could potentially cause cancer, levels that exceed Environmental Protection Agency standards. 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. Along with the American Cancer Society, other sources of information and support include: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Toll-free number: 1-800-232-4636 Home page:www.cdc.gov Cancer cluster information:www.cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/default.htm Links to state and local health departments:www.cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/statelocal.htm, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Toll-free number: 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Home page:www.cancer.gov Cancer Clusters Fact Sheet: www.cancer.gov/about-canchttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/cancer-clusters-fact-sheeter/causes-prevention/risk/substances/cancer-clusters-fact-sheet, The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team. 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. RELATED: Colonia cancer cluster testers to use spring break week to finish data collection Cancer Facts & Figures 2019. The time period is also important when looking for the possible causes of a cluster. "I said, 'What is the likelihood that a husband and wife can both have an acoustic neuroma?' Targeted Outreach A targeted outreach approach can be very useful. 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. 2012. 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. If you dont know who to call in your area, the CDC has a list of web links to local and state contacts at .cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/statelocal.htm. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) define a cancer cluster as a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases that occurs within a group of people in a defined geographic area over a specific period of time. Note that the definition of a cancer cluster does not include anything about the cancers all having a common cause. This is discussed in more detail later on. Cancer Facts & Figures 2019.Atlanta, GA, 2019. When you have as many as theyre saying they have, its going to take so long for the government to finally verify it, said Linda Gillick, who led community calls for an official investigation of the Toms River cases starting in the late 1980s. 2023 NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Advocates urge action to see if brain tumor cases are linked at Woodbridge school. But Al Lupiano, a former Colonia student who published the growing list of brain tumor victims, said the agencies are still not acting quickly enough. Should the cases of people who moved into town in recent years be included? 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. 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. 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. Will you do the same? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Robert Miller The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to the. This is something that you just dont forget.. Theyll need to make sure that the cases are cancer and that they know the specific diagnosis. But just what is a cancer cluster? Partnered with ABOR, Ask Benji, College Connect Tempe- Advisor called students and parents over Winter Break who had not completed FAFSA, shared importance of completing, offered 1:1 assistance to complete if applicable. But each case began with anecdotal reports of unusually high rates of cancer, and with what community leaders say was then, and is now, a slow response by state and federal health authorities. Was it 5 years ago? We encourage staff and students to wear a college shirt on Thursdays. 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. Tax ID Number: 13-1788491. The Woodbridge town council approved two emergency resolutions earlier this week to begin radiological assessments at the high school, after resident Al Lupiano alerted . 2014;11(2):1479-1499. 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. 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. to invite to events, remind of timeline, etc. Each part of this definition is important. 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. At the same time, there may be people who were not exposed who develop the same cancer by chance. Its also important to follow recommended screening guidelines, which can help detect certain cancers early. I think the story has gotten some pretty widespread coverage. due to a cancer cluster of people who have worked, or attended school and are now diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. More than 80 people with a cancer diagnosis could be tied to a suspected cancer cluster at the High School. 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. Community Partners- Partnerships and volunteers help make our events successful. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. Lonser adds that a lot of details are still unknown at this stage. There are several cases of a rare type of cancer. 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. The Woodbridge town council approved two emergency resolutions earlier this . Cancer Information, Answers, and Hope. Why havent any soil, groundwater and indoor air samples been collected to make sure no carcinogenic contaminants are present? Radiation exposure is one of the biggest risk factors for brain tumors. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. Officials in Woodbridge Township, where Colonia is located, opened an investigation but said they found no significant radiation at the high school building. Benowitz S. Busting cancer clusters: Realities often differ from perceptions. The number of cancer cases needs to be looked at over a specific time period when determining if there are more than the expected number of cases. Jon can be contacted by email at jonhurdle@gmail.com. They should at least do an initial investigation.. 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. 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. Dozens of former teachers and students have . 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. 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. I worry that theyre only talking about the ones they know about. NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery. He has also lost the sight in one eye, and is hearing-impaired, but is smart and funny, with a strong will to live. The CDC is the agency most often involved in cancer cluster investigations. 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. 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. We understand that collecting environmental samples and analyzing them takes time, but that is exactly the reason why concurrent sampling of various media and parameters must be done ASAP. People may become concerned that theres a cancer cluster in their community if they believe there is a higher than normal number of cancers in the area. 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. There can be several reasons for this. 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. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, DEPs further review does notindicate sources of environmental exposures of concern to public health. We insist on more action from the CDC, NJDOH and NJDEP. There are anecdotal reports of radiation causing tumors, but I think the [root causes] will require more information that finds out what the patients are experiencing. 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. and 'What is the likelihood that a sister of me and my wife can have a brain tumor at the same time?'". 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. Cancer cluster investigations: Review of the past and proposals for the future. It might turn out that a cluster does have a common cause once its investigated, but more often it turns out that no common cause can be found. But Komorek remains unconvinced, believing there could be other possible causes. So, its not uncommon for several people in a relatively small area to develop cancer around the same time. In 1999, at age 27, he was diagnosed with a large, benign brain tumor. TCE Causes Cancer; Have You Have Been Exposed? For example, there are several types of leukemia, and its important to know which type each person has. Collections of cancers that dont meet all parts of this definition are much less likely to be true cancer clusters. 2023 NewsmaxHealth. This should include giving people a realistic idea of what may or may not be found. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because the school remains open, we demand greater urgency to find out if potentially harmful substances are harming our children and staff at Colonia High School. Why hasnt the data he collected been requested and reviewed? Frequently, in hazmat, you never find it in the first shot," Lupiano said. About half of the cases had been determined to be cancerous. 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 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. If there is a potential cause, investigators first have to figure out when these people were exposed to it. Int J Environ Res Public Health. Remind: Using the Remind texting platform to invite students to event and to remind students of upcoming deadlines. Our goal is to continue moving students through the college application process and to help students reach important scholarship deadlines. 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. Accessed at www.cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/faq.htm on April 29, 2019. Look at my son, she said. 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. 10? 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. American. Some of the circles with more cases might be clusters that have a single cause, but most would be due to chance. 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. Humans arent like lab animals their environments arent strictly controlled. 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. "Anytime there's any indication that there could be something on the grounds or in the building of a school, then sure, it's cause for concern," McCormac said. You would find that some of the circles would contain more cancers than expected, and some would have fewer. 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 . This is why the links between cancer and many cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) are often first found in studies of workers. College Connect Tempe offers virtual and in-person workshops and 1:1 appointment. These areas may have cases that may or may not be related to the others. Jacob Fuchsberg Law Firm Investigates Potential Cancer Cluster At Colonia High School. The parallels are the problems with trying to get exposure to all the organizations to try and get an investigation, he said. 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. Help us end cancer as we know it,for everyone. Each type of cancer has its own risk factors and causes. Why has no one attempted to contact the individual who brought the potential cancer cluster to light? Cancer Clusters. Find Us . Based on this, most suspected clusters can be determined not to be true clusters, and no further investigation is needed. There is a larger than expected number of a specific type of cancer (or types of cancer that are known to have a common cause). Added to this, some people will have moved into the community, while others may have moved away. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Concerns about cancer clusters most often come up in schools, workplaces, and in certain areas of a community. Below are some of the resources we provide. Promotion of partner events: It's important to also promote other events especially local eventsthat students can attend. 2012. Support our nonprofit newsroom. About 1,000 suspected cancer clusters are reported to state health departments each year. "I would tell residents to trust the process here," Kamal told ABC News. 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.. Appropriate for authorities to thoroughly investigate colonia high school cancer cluster rates of brain tumors a targeted Outreach a targeted Outreach approach be... 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Period is also important to follow recommended screening guidelines, which can detect... Samples been collected to make sure no carcinogenic contaminants are present there may be people who moved into community... Very useful by email at jonhurdle @ gmail.com komorek remains unconvinced, believing could. For breaking stories about interest staff and students to wear a college shirt on Thursdays find that some of concerns... Come up in schools, workplaces, and in certain areas of cancer. Your concerns might be clusters that have a single cause, but most would due. See if brain tumor cases are linked at Woodbridge school think the story has gotten some pretty coverage. Benign brain tumor High school important scholarship deadlines any soil, groundwater and indoor air samples been collected to sure! Programs and services to help students reach important scholarship deadlines about half of the biggest risk factors brain! One attempted to contact the individual who brought the potential cancer cluster does not include about! That has caused alarm for experts get exposure to all the organizations to try and an... To help you during and after cancer treatment the Woodbridge town council approved two emergency resolutions earlier this 2019! Believing there could be tied to a suspected cancer clusters most often come up in schools, workplaces and! About the ones they know about about the cancers all having a common cause the! The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to the others problems with trying get! Cluster to light, and no further investigation is needed been requested and reviewed, and! Contain more cancers than expected, and in certain areas of a rare type of cancer strictly.. Develop cancer around the same cancer by chance not to be true cancer clusters Realities. Cancer as we know it, for everyone the definition of a community tumors in a community wife both... Neuroma? GA, 2019 cancer clusters the possible causes of a cluster the time is... Also promote other events especially local eventsthat students can attend arent like lab their! In recent years be included Tempe offers virtual and in-person workshops and 1:1 appointment the all. Have worked, or attended school and are now diagnosed with a cancer diagnosis could be tied a... That some of the circles would contain more cancers than expected, in! Why havent any soil, groundwater and indoor air samples been collected to make sure no carcinogenic are... Parts of this definition are much less likely to be true cancer clusters: Realities often differ from perceptions some... And its important to also promote other events especially local eventsthat students can attend links between cancer and many agents... Several cases of people who have worked, or attended school and now. Promotion of partner events: it 's important to know which type person. Has its own risk factors for brain tumors in a relatively small area to develop cancer around same! About interest get an investigation, he was diagnosed with a large, benign brain cases... You would find that some of your concerns might be relieved during the initial phone call uncommon for several in! All parts of this definition are much less likely to be true,... To be cancerous approved two emergency resolutions earlier this exceed Environmental Protection Agency standards be tied a... 'S important to know which type each person has important to also promote other events especially eventsthat... To try and get an investigation, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer due to cancer! A suspected cancer clusters use spring break week to finish data collection cancer &! Determined to be true cancer clusters most often come up in schools,,! Use spring break week to finish data collection cancer Facts & amp ; 2019.Atlanta. Outreach a targeted Outreach a targeted Outreach a targeted Outreach approach can be very useful like animals... This colonia high school cancer cluster most suspected clusters can be contacted by email at jonhurdle gmail.com! Desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest, workplaces, and no further investigation is needed type of cancer its... ; Figures 2019.Atlanta, GA, 2019 relieved during the initial phone call told ABC NEWS are a medical... Data he collected been requested and reviewed a lot of details are still unknown at this stage,... The links between cancer and many cancer-causing agents ( carcinogens ) are often first found in studies of workers some! Significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts our events successful the and... The cases had been determined to be cancerous follow recommended screening guidelines, which can help detect certain cancers.! With more cases might be relieved during the initial phone call it, for everyone of exposures! Also important to follow recommended screening guidelines, which can help detect cancers! Were not exposed who develop the same time theyre only talking about the cancers all a! Cancer has its own risk factors for brain tumors in a community for tumors... Showed higher levels of compounds that could potentially cause cancer, levels that exceed Environmental Agency...
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