2023 NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Advocates urge action to see if brain tumor cases are linked at Woodbridge school. We encourage staff and students to wear a college shirt on Thursdays. And again, its not easy to study people and their environments. 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). 2012. 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! 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. Some people might be comforted if an investigation finds no clear cause for a cluster, but others might find it worrisome or frustrating. If you are concerned about a possible cancer cluster, contact your local or state health department. 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. About half of the cases had been determined to be cancerous. 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. 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. . 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.. They also may want to see if there are specific cancer risk factors that affected people have in common. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Cancer Facts & Figures 2019.Atlanta, GA, 2019. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2013;62(RR-08):1-14. 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. It sounds like they are investigating, as there are lots of things that we do not know about this, Lonser tells Newsmax. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. But just what is a cancer cluster? "Clearly, there's enough here to move forward with additional testing by the EPA and others to really understand a bit more directly what's happening in the soil and the building materials around the school itself.". COLONIA, N.J. - Radiation tests are being done at Colonia High School in New Jersey after more than 100 people were diagnosed with rare brain tumors. "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. 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. I think the story has gotten some pretty widespread coverage. The letter was sent shortly before a news conference with Mayor John E. McCormac and state officials was scheduled on the findings. 2008;100(9):614-621. At the same time, there may be people who were not exposed who develop the same cancer by chance. NJ High School Cancer Cluster Continues to Perplex Experts. These areas may have cases that may or may not be related to the others. Was it 5 years ago? 2012;42(6):474-490. Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. @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). Why havent any environmental and health official inspected the school to determine what environmental issues should be investigated at and around the school? If there is a potential cause, investigators first have to figure out when these people were exposed to it. Research. Views expressed by our advertisers and sponsors are their own, and are not endorsed by NJ Spotlight News. Cancer Information, Answers, and Hope. 2008;100(9):614-621. 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 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. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2012. Just how big should the bulls eye be? Our College Advisors sent passes out to students and invitations for 1:1 and group events based on data gathered from AZ College Connect FAFSA dashboard (partial matches, incompletes, not started), data from ASU, U of A, NAU, and GCU admit reports (FAFSA status), GPA lists (who should do FAFSA to meet university priority deadlines such as UA Assurance and ASU Obama). For example, there are several types of leukemia, and its important to know which type each person has. We couldnt do what we do without our volunteers and donors. 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. 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.. 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.. Accessed at www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/cancer-clusters-fact-sheet on April 29, 2019. 2023 American Cancer Society, Inc. All rights reserved. (Also see the Additional resources section.). In 1999, at age 27, he was diagnosed with a large, benign brain tumor. 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. A part of the campus is named for Pat Barbato - a longtime football coach . As with any random pattern, there will be more cases than expected in some spots, and fewer cases than expected in others. To report that your child will be absent or late, call the Attendance Hotline: (732) 726-7040 Suppose a group of people live in a community that has a higher than expected number of cases of a certain type of cancer. There is often a long delay between exposure and cancer: In clusters where the cause is known (which have been found mostly in workplaces), the time between exposure to the substance and the development of cancer has been anywhere from a few years to several decades. Find Us . at 212-869-3500, or contact us online for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Testing paid for by Woodbridge is now well underway, as an increasingly large affected community waits and hopes for answers. Regardless of what the radon analysis and radiological survey reveals, air, water, and soil sampling must be conducted right away. All rights reserved. For a better-informed future. 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. T: (602) 229-2500 | F: (602) 229-2555, 2700 N. Central Ave. Suite 400 | Phoenix, AZ 85004, Academic Affairs and Educational Attainment, Arizona Board of Regents' Committee on Free Expression, Information for HS Counselors and Principals, Western Interstate Commission for HIgher Education (WICHE), Feb. 16th - THS Parent Teacher Conferences and THS For the Love of Money FAFSA Night also 9 12 graders invited for College/ Career planning cookies will be served, week of Aug. 29, 2022 all senior English classes first presentation (College Apps, FSA ID, Maia Learning tool), Week of Sept. 26 all senior English classes 2, Oct. 17 and 18 FAFSA days at THS college and community partners on campus all day for 1:1 FAFSA follow ups, Week of Sept. 15 thru Sept. 22 all Junior English class presentations Maia Learning tool pre-College and FAFSA. Read Newsmax Terms and Conditions of Service. And can the people who moved away be found? Some types of cancer are more common in men than in women (and vice versa), and some are more common in certain racial or ethnic groups, or in people with other shared characteristics (such as a history of tobacco use). At that point, steps can be taken to address it. 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. 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. Colonia High School in Colonia, New Jersey. You would find that some of the circles would contain more cancers than expected, and some would have fewer. Lonser adds that a lot of details are still unknown at this stage. 1:44. Al Lupiano has found 107 people with primary brain tumors who all attended or worked at Colonia High School. Lupiano, his wife and his sister are among those affected. 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. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Cancer.org is provided courtesy of the Leo and Gloria Rosen family. 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). Toms River started anecdotally and then when the scientists looked at the numbers they found a cluster, he said. Many in the community have been on edge for months following reports of an alleged cancer cluster possibly linked to the school. 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. Humans arent like lab animals their environments arent strictly controlled. The number of patients affected in a localized area are higher than what we would expect. It might also include collecting and testing samples from the environment (air, soil, drinking water, etc. Hes dying to live, not living to die, she said. National Cancer Institute. 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. We insist on more action from the CDC, NJDOH and NJDEP. 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. Despite the number of cases, officials first have to find if there is indeed a connection between the school grounds and the brain tumors. He and his wife, both Colonia High School graduates, were diagnosed with benign brain tumors over a span of twenty years. The American Cancer Society is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Here you'll find in-depth information on specific cancer types including risk factors, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment options. In most cases, an investigation will show that the suspected cluster is not a true cancer cluster. The counselors, teaching staff and volunteers at THS go above and beyond to meet students and families where they are at. Why havent any soil, groundwater and indoor air samples been collected to make sure no carcinogenic contaminants are present? Her results have not been vetted or confirmed by outside scientists. 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. Support our nonprofit newsroom. Accessed at www.cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/faq.htm on April 29, 2019. 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