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. Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist,. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. It struck Jason Wisinski that there was something unusual about their cases. All rights reserved. As tens of thousands of students and hundreds of staff have attended and worked at Colonia High School, and 1,300 students currently attend school there, it is urgent to understand the cause of this elevated occurrence of brain tumors. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. On March 7, he posted a page on social media looking for others from Colonia High School with brain tumors. The rarity of three family members being diagnosed with brain tumors revealed the high school as a possible common link. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Jason Wisinski is helping Al Lupiano find people with brain tumors connected to Colonia High School and said "my hope is they will whats causing these issues. As DeCillis health declined, Al Lupiano started wondering why the three of them had brain tumors. Glioblastoma can cause numerous symptoms that can affect and impair daily life. Of those, only three were linked to possible exposures; of those, only one had a clear cause identified. Since 2007, Michele M. Vercoski has obtained excellent financial recoveries to clients in Personal Injury, Product Liability, Class Action fraud,Commercial Litigation,and workplace harassment and discrimination. Band Spaghetti Fundraiser. Academic Saturday School, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. Frequently, in hazmat, you never find it in the first shot," Lupiano said. New residents seeking information on elementary, junior and senior high schools, or adult education should call the School District Office at 714-990-7800. Colonia High School Officials conduct a radiological survey on the school's baseball field. 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). If you dont use it, the Bb footer will slide up. Air, waterand soil samples need to be taken to rule out the possibility of additional contaminants that may be acting synergistically," Lupiano said in a statement Tuesday. On April 10, he recorded the 100th case of someone having a primary brain tumor. BTF is using a new generation of Swoop portable MRI scanners developed by HyperFine. Thatled Lupiano to posta message on Facebook last month asking if others who attended or worked at the school had been diagnosed with brain tumors. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. A cluster of over 100 rare brain tumors in the past 30 years sparks a health inspection at Colonia High School in New Jersey. IE 11 is not supported. 'It can't be a coincidence': Colonia High School community probes mysterious cancer cases, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. DeCillis died at age 44 on February 17, 2022. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. She was declining quickly, and my attention was elsewhere, Al Lupiano said. Ms. Vercoski graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Nursing. His wife Michele, a 1991 Colonia High School graduate, had a large acoustic neuroma on her left side, which is life-threatening if left untreated. Youre talking over 105 individuals, not counting families that have been affected, friends that have been affected. His sister Angela Decillis graduated in 1995. After Jason Wisinki's wife and sister-in-law, who both attended Colonia High School, died from brain tumors, the 51-year-old from Hunterdon, New Jersey, who did not attend Colonia, contacted Lupiano through Facebook. Other than that, we dont have any experience to link us together.. RECEIVE CITY NEWSGet the Brea Line Newsletter, City of Brea1 Civic Center CircleBrea, CA 92821Phone: 714-990-7600, 57/Lambert Interchange Improvement Project, Join the Energy Coalition With Smart Habits. Drill March Parent Meeting, 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM 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. Higher Education The foundations work is part of a formal research study in partnership with Weill Cornell Medicine/NY-Presbyterian in New York. 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. Football Booster Club Meeting, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM This coveted designation recognizes our ability to offer the highest-quality stroke care available today. Lupiano said, adding his doctor encouraged him to investigate the concentration of tumors in the town where he grew up. 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM 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. 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. In 1999, when he was just 27, Al. As his sisters health worsened, he said found 15 people who went to his high school, Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, who also had primary brain tumors. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Lupiano, his wife Michele, and his sister were all Colonia High School graduates and all developed brain tumors, although Lupiano's and his wife's are benign. While we are waiting for the results of the radiological survey to be finalized, precious time is being wasted. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Meghan Holohan is a contributing writer who covers health and parenting for TODAY.com. You have to find out if its something thats going to affect my kids, Al Lupiano, 50, of Jamesburg, New Jersey, told TODAY. The physical, occupational and speech therapists in our outpatient neurorehabilitationprogram provide skilled, experienced support for people with movement disorders. 2023 Cable News Network. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Its just like both of you being struck by lightning." "This is only the tip of the iceberg. This is only one of many, many tests that can be performed. JROTC Sports Day Competition, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Michele M. Vercoski, a partner of McCune Law Group, is investigating the potential link between the rare brain tumor and many former Colonia High School students out of the MLGs office in Newark, New Jersey. WOODBRIDGE -In less than two months, former township resident Al Lupiano has developed a list of more than 100 people linked to Colonia High School who have been diagnosed with primary brain tumors. Earlier this month, the township approved an emergency $221,350 contract for an engineering firm to conduct radiological assessments at Colonia High School. ALSO READ | Man who spotted subway shooting suspect Frank R. James, flagged down officers speaks out, * 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. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. 2023 www.mycentraljersey.com. While that may sound like a high number, determining if a group of cases constitute a cancer cluster can be difficult. 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. New Jersey NJ Parents Demand Swifter Action in School Cancer Probe After 100+ Brain Tumors Diagnosed More than 100 former Colonia High School students and staff over a 30-year period. Radon testing was conducted at the school and last monthlocal officials joined by state environmental and health officials announced no evidence of any cancer-causing hazards were found at the site that warrant further investigation. Learn more about our pain treatment services. Earlier this year, 1989 Colonia High School graduate Al Lupiano developed a list of more than 120 people who were students, teachers or staff members at the school from the 1970s to 1990s. ABC7's Dallas Raines explains the difference, Jury selection begins for convicted torturer accused of escaping jail, Children jump for joy at seeing snow flurries in Canyon Country. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". More than 100 people from the same high school have been diagnosed with brain cancer and it is feared soil contaminated with uranium used in the first atomic bomb made them ill. The free brain scans were pursued by Al Lupiano, a Colonia High School graduate who began researching a possible link between brain tumors and the high school following the February 2022 death of his 44-year-old sister with a malignant brain tumor,just months after she had been diagnosed. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". But he narrowed his search criteria: He wanted to look for primary brain tumors, those that originate in the brain instead of resulting from another cancer, such as lung or breast cancer. Ultimately, if it isnt a radiation source that is causing these illnesses, Lupiano says other tests can be done to pinpoint a cause. 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. WOODBRIDGE TWP., New Jersey -- Al Lupiano graduated from Colonia High School in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey in 1989. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". "My wife was awesome, and I think about her every day - I talk to her all the time," Wisinski said. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. McCormac says last Saturday, environmentalists placed random canisters inside the school to collect air samples. Soon after Lupiano posted his page, Woodbridge Township Mayor John McCormac received phone calls about the group and reached out to Lupiano. Community Health Needs Assessments and Improvement Plans, Notice of Nondiscrimination and Communication Assistance. Sonora High School is a diverse community dedicated to the academic, personal, and social growth of all student learners within a student-centered environment. And with the list that grew by two people in just the last week, the results of recentradiation and radon testing at the school on East Street can't come soon enough. Depending on the results of the investigation, those who have been most affected may be entitled to substantial compensation. He found a total of 104 former students and faculty - about half are cancerous. And its very possible they might not.. The St. Jude Sleep Centerbrings unusual expertise to the most common and undiagnosed sleep problem in America today: sleep apnea. It took a lot of computing power, but we may finally have a full picture of a humans brain development over the course of their life. 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