An MRI revealed Michele had a 30-millimeter acoustic neuroma, another raretype of brain tumor that develops on the nerves leading to the inner ear. Lupiano said. A copy of Lupianos list, with the names and phone numbers of victims redacted, includes some who, like Lupiano himself, graduated decades ago. A part of the campus is named for Pat Barbato - a longtime football coach and athletic director. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. Colonia High School Officials conduct a radiological survey on the school's baseball field. Angela M. DeCillis, a Colonia High School graduate, Class of '95. (Google Maps). Without analyzing the data herself, Platz said shes not able to estimate how many of the 15,000 people who have gone through Colonia High in the past 30 years would need to have developed cancer for it to be considered a cluster. Its way too early to call it a cancer cluster, said Dr. Joseph Landolfi, chief medical officer at JFK Medical Center in Edison, and its director of neuro-oncology. Al Lupiano graduated from the Middlesex County school in 1989. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Out of roughly 10,000 people, having more than five dozen cases of brain tumors and cancers is far above the average. Both Lupiano, 50, and his wife Michele, 49, who is also a Colonia graduate, have acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor. or redistributed. That's what makes the numbers staggering," says Lupiano. Among the others diagnosed with brain cancer was Lupianos younger sister, who passed away from the disease in February at the age of 44. The disturbing development came to the fore after one of the former students Al Lupiano - a cancer survivor - decided to untangle the mystery. Even though the cluster cases ended almost two decades ago, Lupiano appears as determined as ever to uncover the cause -- and he understands that parents who send their kids to school there now may have some concerns despite what officials tell them. "I started doing some research and the three became five, the five became seven, the seven became 15," he told CBS News York. "I'm not particularly concerned because it hasn't happened in quite some time. Jon can be contacted by email at jonhurdle@gmail.com. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). 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. . 2021 DEADLIEST YEAR IN US HISTORY DUE TO COVID-19, DRUG OVERDOSES. Lupiano also suggested a potential link between Colonia High School and a Middlesex, New Jersey, sampling plant in his interview with NJ Spotlight. "If there's a unique exposure, we would expect a unique cancer type," Platz said. Im doing this not only for my wife, my sister my nieces are currently in the school but this deserves further understanding. More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff have been diagnosed with brain cancer over a 30-year period. More than 100 primary brain tumors have now been linked to people who graduated or taught at Colonia High. 100 families having to be told the terrible news. "As previously stated, there is basically one medically proven cause of rare brain tumors like ours radiation," he wrote. According to the National Cancer Institute, "cases of cancer can appear to cluster even when there is no connection among them." LaTourette said during the press conference every possible link to cancer was tested. 94 people from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey are part of a cancer cluster of still unknown origin. For anothertwo decades, he held similar jobs withbig companies including Lockheed Martin. On Tuesday after a public push by Lupiano local officials approved an emergency probe of the school. 6 foods making your hay fever worse, according to a dietit King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage and give to Andrew, 'Elvis' star Austin Butler was rushed to ER after 'body just started shutting down', Drug-resistant stomach bug spreading across US: 'Serious public health alert', NY teacher forced 5th-grade girl to use male pronouns causing suicidal thoughts: suit, Woke Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses re-election bid as city battles crime epidemic, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell Spare released, Jordyn Woods supports Selena Gomez amid singers feud with Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, RHONJ recap: Jennifer Aydin mocks Rachel Fudas terrible nose job, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of Today After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. The township and school district have had discussions and meetings with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the state Department of Health, the state Department of Environmental Protection and Rep. Frank Pallones office. A single New Jersey man has uncovered a medical mystery apparently linking 100 people diagnosed with rare cancers or tumors to a Woodbridge high school. 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 . I'm still helping him get more attention.". The disturbing development became headline news this week after CBS News took it national. And all three were diagnosed with rare forms of brain cancers or tumors on the left side of their brains. COLONIA, N.J. -- There is a growing push to go back to remote learning at one New Jersey high school, but not because of COVID fears. There is one well documented cause of brain tumors radiation exposure," he continued. In a post Saturday, Lupiano said a radiological team that was looking for radiation and radon concluded their search. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, Wired UK, Popular Science and Youth Today, among others. The mayorsays only the experts are qualifiedto make an actionable connection between the cases and CHS. Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas has the latest as 100+ have been diagnosed with rare brain tumors from Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Lupiano is an environmental scientist who tested ground samples for toxins over the course of his career and suggested that the school's grounds could be contaminated, according to NJ Spotlight News. 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). Now, an investigation is underway to determine if the school Colonia High School in Woodbridge, New Jersey is linked with a cancer cluster. During a press conference, local and state officials said a probe into Colonia High School, located in Woodbridge, found there was no cause and effect relationship between those illnesses and the building and grounds at Colonia High School.. But Lupiano has so far came across 102 people who passed through the school between 1975 and 2000 have all suffered from the same type of brain cancer. I dont think this is the end of the story. But just because there is an investigation does not necessarily mean there's a cancer cluster, Platz told Live Science. WOODBRIDGE, NJ Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition demanding a more robust investigation from the state of New Jersey and the federal government regarding a possible, unconfirmed cancer. Platz expects that public health officials will look for specific overlaps in timing and tumor type. 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According to agency estimates, about 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer. "I talked to him a little bit and learned about what he had been working on," McCormactoldNew Jersey 101.5. All rights reserved, mysterious cluster of brain tumors dating back decades, He's looking for a place to host the screenings in early June, NJ Parents Demand Swifter Action in School Cancer Probe After 100+ Brain Tumors Diagnosed, Cancer Cluster Probe at NJ HS Underway After 100+ Diagnosed With Brain Tumors, Next Winter Storm May Bring Even More Snow to NYC Area This Week: What to Know, 4 Ferraris Stolen on Long Island in Service Center Heist. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com. Outdoors, radon disperses rapidly and, generally, is not a health issue. In April, Woodbridge approved environmental testing at the school, but those results won't be made available until the end of June. He said the site was vacant land until the school was built in 1967,so he believes there is little chance anything was in the ground before then, but if there is anything on site, it could have come from fill during the construction phase. He thinks the cases stem from contaminated soil, but there's no data to prove that at this point. It is possible that soil from the plant had been trucked to Colonia High School during its construction in 1967, NJ Spotlight reported. "To say he was concerned when he discovered all three of us grew up in the same neighborhood is an understatement. They will remain in place for 14 days before being sent to a lab for analysis. The gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. McCormac and Lupiano are waiting to hear back from the EPA. 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. He went on to recover from the disease. According to Fox News, there have been instances of both malignant and benign brain tumors being discovered in former Colonia High School attendees. His wife. He, his wife and sister were among those who were diagnosed with brain tumors. Both his wife and sister were assigned the same doctor for treatment. Jason Wisinski, who lost his wife and sister-in-law, both Colonia High alumnae, to . New York, But the growing number of victims both alive and dead on the list dont constitute the evidence that public health experts need to determine that Colonia is a cancer cluster, said Dr. Colonia graduate Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, was the first to sound the alarm about the potential cluster. Parents like Dawn Genoni are willing to wait for that critical update. But some parents didnt seem convinced, according to NJ.com. "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. He's identifiedat least 65 people, including graduates and former staff who walked the halls of CHS from 1975 to 1995. "This approach of calculating the expected number was done to provide context to . The investigation will consider very granular data on graduates, like their occupations, family history and other activities that could affect their exposures. McCormac said he was very concerned to learn of the possible link. Because cancer clusters are often suspected in very small subpopulations like neighborhoods, apartment buildings or homes on the same side of the street they can be very difficult to establish, Platz said. 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