The St. Jude Sleep Centerbrings unusual expertise to the most common and undiagnosed sleep problem in America today: sleep apnea. Ultimately, if it isnt a radiation source that is causing these illnesses, Lupiano says other tests can be done to pinpoint a cause. The Departments stand ready to assist Woodbridge in reviewing any environmental data it collects to determine appropriate next steps. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. Its just extremely rare. This is the disclaimer text. 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. If you dont use it, the Bb footer will slide up. My wife, sister and myself grew up in the same township. But patience appears to be wearing thin among some in the community, judging by the petition. And its very possible they might not.. 3 min read. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. His sister Angela Decillis. DeCillis died at age 44 on February 17, 2022. Soon after Lupiano posted his page, Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac received phone calls about the group and reached out to Lupiano. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. On April 10, he recorded the 100th case of someone having a primary brain tumor. 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. They thought it had to do with the pregnancy.They couldnt do an MRI on Janice Wisinski, so they did a CT scan and saw a mass on the left side of her brain. ItfollowsLupiano's research indicating a possible link between the school and brain tumor cases among former students and staff, particularly from the years 1975 to 1995. While that may sound like a high number, determining if a group of cases constitute a cancer cluster can be difficult. (TODAY has not confirmed each individual case.) Lupiano, who has a 30-year background in environmental science and safety engineering, never anticipatedthe list of cases growing so long. Amber's Story - Brain Aneurysm. It is a great advantage to find tumors as early as possible. But, according to the Change.org petition launched Tuesday, complete results aren't even anticipated to be received until the end of May. Doctors gave her about 18 months to live, but she survived five years and saw her daughter grow up some. All rights reserved. "I never in my worst nightmare envisioned ever hitting this milestone. That, the "concerned Colonia High School parents, alumni, and township members" petitioning on behalf of their school community say, isn't acceptable. He promised her he would find out the reason for the family's brain tumors. Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. If students and staff are being subjected to harmful environmental exposures at Colonia High School, swift and urgent action must be taken to protect the future health of the students and staff. His sister Angela Decillis graduated in 1995. The city of Woodbridge has been taking the lead on that front, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for testing at a school that graduated roughly 15,000 people over the last 30 years. He found a total of 104 former students and faculty - about half are cancerous. Black died in 2015, three years after her sister, when her cancer recurred. Part of investigating a possible cancer cluster is comparing the group in question to a similar group elsewhere, aka the control group, to determine if cancer is actually occurring at a higher rate. More than 200 people have signed an online petition demanding a public meeting with state officials in New Jersey and federal authorities over concerns about a medical mystery at a high school following dozens of diagnoses of brain tumors. Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (714-256-1311) has a campus located at 251 South Randolph Street in Brea. 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. I hope to God that they can find something. She believesassisting her fellow neighbors and friends can help elevate the entire community and shine a spotlight on the need for systemic change. 2. Environmental scientist Al Lupiano. He was successfully treated for it, though he has lingering side effects, including slight deafness, fatigue and dizziness. The safety of our students and staff is the top priority., The New Jersey departments of health and environmental protection told TODAY in a statement that they're "aware of the concerns raised by local residents" relating to Colonia High School and "partnering with Mayor McCormac and Woodbridge Township to better understand the issue and determine whether any relevant environmental exposure concerns are present at the site. Brain tumors represent the highest per-patient initial cost of care for any cancer group with an annualized mean net cost of care approaching $150,000; and the highest annualized mean net costs for last-year-of-life care, relative to other cancers, at $135,000 to $210,000 (depending on age and sex) per patient. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Also in the city are several pre-schools, two Christian schools, and a Catholic school with classes for children from K-8. Earlier this year, Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist and Colonia High School graduate, discovered more than 115 people who spent time at the school had a rare brain tumor. New residents seeking information on elementary, junior and senior high schools, or adult education should call the School District Office at 714-990-7800. 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. "The federal and the state governments all know what the facts are to date and have not expressed any immediate concern. Your opinion matters! "We absolutely have concerns, the Democrat told NJ.com. They didnt think for a second that it had anything to do with a brain tumor. "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," the petition says in seeking the involvement of more state and federal agencies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor with an incidence rate of 3.19 per 100,000 persons in the United States, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). "We have to know whatwe've found so far, if anything, before we test for the next level," McCormac said. Both sisters graduated from Colonia High School, just like Al Lupiano in 1989, his wife Michelle in 1991, and his sister, Angela Decillis in 1995. For Lupiano, the concern is very personal. According to the foundation, an estimated 700,000 people in the United Stated are living with a primary brain tumor. We had talked about it from day one, that theres something wrong here, and because of my sisters background in medicine, she had said the same thing: You need to figure this out. Our sister station WABC-TV has reached out to the EPA for comment. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumor with an incidence rate of 3.19 per 100,000 persons in the United States, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH). I had been struggling for several weeks after she passed away, trying to figure out what to do, Al Lupiano said. Lupiano said he started searching for instances of Colonia High graduates having brain tumors and was stunned to discover 15 people in total, with two newly discovered cases pending further. When Al Lupiano investigated why he, his wife and his sister had brain tumors, he told TODAY he uncovered more people with them who went to or worked at the high school. I dont have any data that says anybody should be concerned right now, and if we had that, we would certainly take action immediately," McCormac said. The school has stayed open, with local officials apparently telling parents that "at this time, there is no discernable health or wellness threat to students, staff, or visitors at Colonia High School," according to the petition writers. Even if the brain tumor is not technically cancer, it can grow and become life-threatening if left untreated. 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. Academic Achievement Awards, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM "I had recalled two family friends, the Black sisters, had also passed of these brain tumors," Lupiano said. medical mystery at a high school following dozens of diagnoses of brain tumors. That's 100 people with their life forever changed, 100 families having to be told the terrible news, 100 stories of shock and disbelief with the diagnosis. Our nationally respected neurological rehabilitation programs include inpatientand outpatientsettings. It turned out that it was not benign, but it was a malignant glioblastoma, a very very aggressive cancer, he explained. 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. Follow her on Twitter to see her recent stories. The physical, occupational and speech therapists in our outpatient neurorehabilitationprogram provide skilled, experienced support for people with movement disorders. He investigated whether other people who grew up nearby had experienced brain tumors, too. Glioblastoma can cause numerous symptoms that can affect and impair daily life. Janice was pregnant with her and Jason's only child. "I have full faith they will get to the bottom of this and they will figure out what is going on," she said at the time. Lupiano's research led to the creation of a list of about 125 former Colonia High School students, teachers and staff who have developed brain tumors. CNN's Ana Cabrera speaks to Al Lupiano, a former student. (The doctor) just looked at me and said, Ive been doing this a long time. Grad Nite Tickets on Sale, 12:40 PM - 1:04 PM The environmental testing is expected to last a month. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Ms.Vercoskispassion is helping underserved groups receive fair and just compensation for harm they have experienced. See How All 50 Wards Voted in the 2023 Chicago Mayoral Election. Reports claim that more than 60 former students and staff of Colonia High School have been diagnosed with a rare brain tumor called glioblastoma. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Along with MLGs PHDs in Public Health, Ms. Vercoski will be investigating this case out of the firms Newark office. Of those, only three were linked to possible exposures; of those, only one had a clear cause identified. McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day - I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. His sister Angela DeCillis had a stage 4 glioblastoma that took her life in February 2022 at age 44, just six months after she was diagnosed. She basically started becoming disabled, he said. In addition to Ms. Vercoskis medical and legal expertise in environmental areas, MLG has an in-house team of lawyers and public health professionals, including two PhDs in public health, who are ready to lead the investigation to protect current and former students and staff of Colonia High School against the fallout from this rare brain tumor. "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day - I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. That is, clusters of cancer can arise by chance," according to NCI. When people investigate signs or symptoms that point to neurological issues, cancers may have already grown to a stage where it is difficult to treat," said BTF Chairman Michael Schreiber. His wife. We'll use your location to find clinics, hospitals and doctors closest to you. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. She left the nursing profession in 2001 to pursue a legal career with a special emphasis on using her nursing knowledge to help those in legal need. BTF is using a new generation of Swoop portable MRI scanners developed by HyperFine. They learned of their tumors just eight days apart. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream, Man who spotted subway shooting suspect Frank R. James, flagged down officers speaks out, Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts. That more than 60 former students and staff of Colonia high School following dozens diagnoses! Not technically cancer, he explained not.. 3 min read same township 12:40 PM - 1:30 PM get! Judging by the petition, complete results are n't even anticipated to be received until the colonia high school brain tumor may. As early as possible symptoms that can affect and impair daily life and become life-threatening if left.! Grad Nite Tickets on Sale, 12:40 PM - 1:30 PM to unlimited. 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