utah778/Getty Work began on . SOURCES:PEOPLE Magazine, CBS News New York, New York Post, NJ.com &Dr. Joe Whittington. That is what Al Lupiano, Colonia High School (CHS) Class of 1989, wants to find out after . His wife was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, which is a benign brain tumor and is the exact same brain tumor that Al Lupiano himself was diagnosed with 22 years ago. That's what makes the numbers staggering," says Lupiano. Lupianoknew that something was very wrong here. That's a huge number for such a small region. He told WABC that he lost his wife Janice to an inoperable brain tumor 10 years ago and that her sister Cheryl died from brain cancer in 2015. The New Jersey state Department of Health. The brain tumor cases, appearing over a thirty-year period, are a significant medical mystery that has caused alarm for experts. He found a total of 104 former students and faculty, and about half were cancerous. Officials are looking for potential radiation at the school. Some are incredibly aggressive forms of cancer that need very aggressive forms of treatment. Mayor McCormac says the Environmental Protection Agency is now involved. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. pic.twitter.com/mL9bVg9nE4, Katy Tur Reports (@KatyOnMSNBC) April 1, 2022, A majority of the graduates and staff members suffering from the condition were at the school between 1975 and 2000, but some students went through the school as recently as 2014, the NY Post continued. "We're going to test and hope we find nothing," McCormac previously said. "What I find alarming is there's truly only one environmental link to primary brain tumors and that's ionizing radiation, said Lupiano. If you are an alumni or staff member of Colonia High School and have developed a brain tumor, contact MLG today! Nsikan was previously at National Geographic where he worked as a science editor, overseeing its COVID-19 coverage in addition to other topics in science, health and technology. State health officials are now conducting an investigation into the cluster of 117 people. WOODBRIDGE - Work is underway to create a portal for people with ties to Colonia High School who have developed brain tumors to share information with the New . A video posted on TikTok video by Dr. Joe Whittington, a board-certified doctor in California gave this issue much needed public attention. Almost 100 people from the very same New Jersey high school have all developed brain tumors. However, I still think we need to expedite the next phase of testing including water, soil, and air, to determine if more than one contaminant is present, he said. But public health experts are cautioning against deeming the tumor cases a "cancer cluster" just yet. Two hours later, we received information that my wife also had a primary brain tumor, Lupiano said. "Colonia is not a mega high school. He says that the evidence that Lupiano has collected is a cause for concern, which is why the city will pay for emergency testing at the school this weekend. If you were affected or have a tumor or rare cancer, I need your assistance," his Facebook post read. In his first public comments on the matter, Murphy told reporters he is taking this issue "very seriously," but also cautioned: "I don't know that we know enough yet to be definitive in terms of causation," Murphy said, according to 101.5. She also cautioned that additional toxins could be present at the school because she described her initial testing as very limited, meaning it did not include taking air samples or probing deep into the soil or groundwater. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Part Time, Per diem position. It should also be noted that not all the reports of primary brain tumors are cancerous. All three were diagnosed with a brain tumor. Qualifications: Current and valid New Jersey Registered Nurse license is required. WOODBRIDGE - Work is underway to create a portal for people with ties to Colonia High School who have developed brain tumors to share information with the New Jersey Department of Health. McCormac, along with schools Superintendent Joseph Massimino; Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; and Judith Persichilli, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, announced the results of the radiation testing during a press conference at CHS on May 26. 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. Middlesex County's Colonia High School, located in Woodbridge, has made national headlines in recent weeks after over 100 former students and faculty were found to have been diagnosed with. The environmental assessment study at Colonia High School was recently completed, in response to allegations that suggested the school had radiological hazards that contributed to diagnoses of brain tumors, cancers, and other central nervous disorders in former students and staff members. Again too early to tell yet, I think, to draw any definitive conclusions.". Hochul deflects when asked about 'good cause' eviction bill, Judge: Former coach's discrimination lawsuit against New York Giants and NFL can proceed, Supreme Court justices pour water on NYs push to save mob-busting seaport watchdog, NJ Legislature OKs bill to make landlords, sellers warn residents about past floods. Komorek presented her findings Monday to Woodbridge superintendent Joseph Massimino, Colonia principal Kenneth Pace and Woodbridge Education Association president Brian Geoffroy. DeCillis died in February from glioblastoma multiforme, a form of brain cancer. Phil Murphy was asked by reporters for his thoughts on the possible brain cancer cluster at Colonia High. Lupiano has found nearly 200 people with links to Colonia High School who have brain tumors or other rare cancers. It's just that rare. The mother of two Colonia High students who believed not enough environmental testing was done in the aftermath of reports of a possible brain tumor cluster connected to the school told NJ Advance . Asking them to be patient for several more weeks is unacceptable. Jason Wisinksi lost his wife Janice 10 years ago to an inoperable brain tumor called Anaplastic Astrocytoma. On March 29, 2022, Lupiano wrote an article in a local newsletter, asking for help to identify people who developed the brain tumors, to collect data to plan further steps for answers to a probably cause. It will take about two weeks. Colonia High School is now the. They said it was about a one in a billion odds. I just felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions regarding the school, Komorek told NJ Advance Media. I made a promise to my sister while she was dying that if something did this to us, I will find out what did it, Lupiano says. National Cancer Institutes list of 27 common afflictions. What I find alarming is theres truly only one environmental link to primary brain tumors and thats ionizing radiation. "I need your help Facebook. An alumnus of Colonia High School in Woodbridege, N.J. is investigating his former high school, claiming he has counted 115 people who attended or worked there to have had a rare brain. Theres no telling if they're going to find answers here. It's not contaminated water. Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain tumors diagnosed in 108 people over a period of three decades, ending in the early 2000s. Lupiano says that most of the people on his list were at the high school prior to 1997. McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. The township announced results of an investigation. He received his . Lupiano told CBS News New York that"Fast forward to August of last year My sister received the news she had a primary brain tumor, herself. A total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors responded to a Facebook post. Alumni links 65 rare brain tumor cases to NJ high school, investigation launched. His sister succumbed to brain cancer. While Lupianos wife Michele is still undergoing treatment, his sister Angela died in February, just months after her diagnosis. Thanks to social media, Lupiano found a total of 104 former students and faculty with brain tumors - about half are cancerous. For her part, Komorek said she took it upon herself to do the independent testing for my own peace of mind, to sleep at night, and for my girls to remain at the school., I was hoping it was going to come back negative, she added. Earlier this year, Colonia graduate Al Lupiano, also an environmental scientist, discovered more than 100 teachers and alums of the school who reported having brain tumors, drawing international attention to the community and sparking state and local investigations. Nearly 100 people attending a single high school in New Jersey have developed rare forms of brain cancer. Mar 30, 2022 The Wanted's Tom Parker Dies at 33 After Brain Tumor Battle Al Lupiano, a graduate of the high school, believes there's a link between Colonia High School and brain. Luciano has reported his findings to Colonia High School. A stock photo shows medical workers looking at a brain scan or brain scans. The investigation started earlier this year after a stunning number of cancer cases in people who had a connection to the school. In a mysterious story, a man from New Jersey named Al Lupiano found out that 100 people with uncommon cancers were linked to Woodbridge Township School District, Colonia High School. Unfortunately, that didnt happen.. Its not something in soil. And there are many different forms of these cancers. 94 people from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey are part of a cancer cluster of still unknown origin. 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. Both sisters were graduates of Colonia High School. "There's lots and lots of people calling me, saying, 'Look, I didn't go to the high school, but I live a mile away, and we call our block cancer alley,'" he told Fox News. Robert Miller The investigation was jumpstarted after it was discovered more 122 people once connected to. How did this incident come to light in the first place? Earlier this year, Lupianos sister lost her battle with a very rare and highly aggressive malignant glioma brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) at age 44. 3 min read. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006, (RELATED: Video Shows Man Repeatedly Running Over Woman With SUV After Minor Incident). Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, Lawrence Township League of Women Voters announces 2022 leadership award winners, No criminal charges for Hillsborough police officer in 2021 fatal shooting, Vigil marks one-year anniversary of Ukrainian War. Sign up for Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com, this resolution approved at their April 5 meeting, Brain Tumor Link To Colonia High School 'Credible,' Town's Mayor Says. In an acknowledgement of the significance of Komoreks findings, the district sent out a statement to parents and guardians Monday evening. Environmental engineering firm T+M Associates has been contracted by the township to test for radiation on the grounds of the high school, which was built in 1967. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano is among 94 former students and staff from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, who have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors. Dr. Joseph Massimino, superintendent of Woodbridge Township School District has commented that they are waiting for more details and formulating next steps, in coordination with New Jersey environmental agencies. It's not something in soil," Lupiano said to CBS News. He is keeping a list. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist,. Then making matters even worse, the same day that Michelle Lupiano (Al's wife) was diagnosed with her brain tumor, Al's sister Angela DeCillis was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. All the affected attended Colonia High School in Woodbridge, dating back decades. Sneak Peek At Woodbridge Mayor's Mailer Urging 'Yes' Vote On March 14, Woodbridge Woman Writes Her 2nd Fiction Novel, Critically Praised, Perth Amboy Outerbridge Crossing Crash Blocks Lane Tuesday: DOT, NJ Camp Fairs at Menlo Park Mall Mar 4, 2023 - FREE to Attend (12-3PM), 2023 Spring Garden Tea Party Gift Auction, Raisin, The Tony-Winning Best Musical - Second Incredible Week, Johns Crazy Socks Enters the Wholesale Channel so Retail Stores Can Sell Our Socks, Protect Your Home from Ticks with Yard Guard from Viking Pest, The Doobie Brothers Play In New Brunswick July 8,9, Highest NJ Property Taxes: See Where Your Town Ranks On New List, Person Shot During Police Encounter At South Jersey Rest Stop: AG. Obviously, everyone's praying and hoping for the best," said Colonia High School junior Julia Pagnozzi. 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. He shared a 2020 Emmy for the PBS NewsHour series Stopping a Killer Pandemic and in 2019 received a George FosterPeabodyAwardfor the PBS NewsHour series The Plastic Problem. Nsikan has also worked for NPR, Science News Magazine, Science Magazine, KUSP Central Coast Public Radio, the Santa Cruz Sentinel and as a writer at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University. Lupiano, an environmental scientist, began researching the matter and reaching out to people on Facebook who had attended the school and been diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Ninety-four former staff members and students from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey, have developed an "extremely" rare form of malignant brain tumor, leading local officials to approve an emergency probe of the school Tuesday. An investigation has been launched after more than 100 people who attended a high. Most of them during the years of 1972 to 2000, said Matthew Stanmyre with NJ Advance Media, who broke the news. Brain cancer is relatively rare but very dangerous. ', * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts, AccuWeather: AM showers before a mild afternoon, Extra Time: Breaking down massive NYC, NYPD settlement, Teammate facing charges in crash that killed local UGA player. He was diagnosed 20 years ago. Photo credit Google Street View. All rights reserved (About Us). ", ALSO READ | Onlookers urged police to charge into TX school: 'Go in there! ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream, Onlookers urged police to charge into TX school: 'Go in there! Lupiano grew up in Woodbridge Township and he now works as an environmental scientist; he no longer lives in Woodbridge. Last year, Lupianos wife and sister also developed brain tumors, as first reported byCBS New York. 100 former students, staff of Colonia High School in New Jersey say they have rare brain tumors. Radiology, Allied Health, Radiologic Technologist, Neurophysiology. She loves a good music pun and wakes up very very early. "That started setting off bells and whistles in my head.". An alumnus of Colonia High School in Woodbridege, N.J. is investigating his former high school, claiming he has counted 115 people who attended or worked there to have had a rare brain tumor, according to CBS News. Immediate action from our State and Federal agencies is warranted, Lupiano said. Mystery as 100 people. Print |. I don't trust anyone who says that nuclear plant was safe. Im optimistic that when all is said and done, we will have a definitive link of what caused this to happen to all of us and Im hopeful that we can take that knowledge and prevent it from ever happening again.. Donate today, Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations. They learned of their tumors just eight days apart, while Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," Lupiano said. Since March . The Anti-Defamation League said the phrase at the center of the question was popularized as a trolling campaign by members of 4chan a notorious anonymous message board and was adopted by . "The EPA and CDC are not testing at Colonia High School," said Hagerty. One former student, Al Lupiano, 50, was diagnosed with brain tumors in the 1990s but subsequently recovered, according to NJ.com. Accordingly, no further testing or remediation is required or recommended at this time. There's a vast array of treatments, but again, we're dealing with so many different types of primary brain tumors here that they're all treated very differently. Township officials have posted the radiological reports on the township website at www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us. Unfortunately, hers was terminal, and she died in February. An investigation into the possible link between Colonia High School and cancer found no radiological hazards that warranted further investigation. The community is absolutely unnerved and absolutely terrified by what's going on here. Some of these are non-cancerous, yet very debilitating forms of brain tumor. At the time, the medium lifespan for her type of tumor was 18 months. All of the cases have ties to Colonia High School, either as students or employees. Lupiano, an environmental scientist and industrial engineer, believed it was a pattern. Woodbridge Township has contracted environmental engineering firm T&M Associates to carry out radiation tests at Colonia High School to investigate a possible link between the school and the reported brain tumors, according to New York news outlet WABC. Courtesy Al Lupiano. Early testing at the Woodbridge school by a consultant for the . The institute predicts about 290,000 people will develop breast cancer in 2022 compared to 25,000 for brain cancer. "I had told my sister from the very beginning that there was too much of a coincidence that me, my wife and her all have the same tumor," Lupiano said. Theyre testing the air for radon. "It's not something done to us due to bad habits, said Lupiano. Primary brain tumors are tumors that originate in the brain, as opposed to secondary tumors which start somewhere else and then spread to the brain. Earlier this spring . 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