colonia high school cancer clustercolonia high school cancer cluster

Cancer doesnt affect all groups of people equally. Radiation exposure is one of the biggest risk factors for brain tumors. A quicker investigation by the New Jersey Department of Health and federal agencies could have saved the lives of around 30 children who died from cancer in Toms River in the mid-1990s, advocates say. For most well-documented cancer clusters that have been found to be caused by a shared exposure, the exposure took place in the workplace, rather than in the communities where people lived. Should the cases of people who moved into town in recent years be included? 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). due to a cancer cluster of people who have worked, or attended school and are now diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Even if the excess number of cases reported in a cancer cluster looks significant based on statistics, it doesnt necessarily mean that the cancers are caused by something unique to that area. Why hasnt the data he collected been requested and reviewed? Theyll need to make sure that the cases are cancer and that they know the specific diagnosis. WOODBRIDGE TWP., NJ - Testing began Today at Colonia High School. Although there was public pressure on the state to investigate child cancer cases in Toms River, it was the victims families who did the research to show the pattern of illness in the community, Kotran said. Cancer cluster investigations: Review of the past and proposals for the future. J Natl Cancer Inst. Based on this, most suspected clusters can be determined not to be true clusters, and no further investigation is needed. But in many cases, even when it seems there is a cluster, a single cause cant be found. The days that hes in pain, that he cant do what other children do. If you dont know who to call in your area, the CDC has a list of web links to local and state contacts at .cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/statelocal.htm. Some people might be comforted if an investigation finds no clear cause for a cluster, but others might find it worrisome or frustrating. And again, its not easy to study people and their environments. The areas with more cases than expected are more likely to be noticed. But Al Lupiano, a former Colonia student who published the growing list of brain tumor victims, said the agencies are still not acting quickly enough. Other TUHSD school also coordinate their own FAFSA and college events where all students in the district are invited to attend. For example, there are several types of leukemia, and its important to know which type each person has. Its just very difficult to get something like this off the ground. "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. They really are very lax when it comes to reporting data and investigating it, and its left up to the individuals to find out about it, and its continuing today.. Colonia graduate Al Lupiano, an environmental scientist, was the first to sound the alarm about the potential cluster. Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. The number of people with rare brain tumors who either attended or worked at Colonia High School in Woodbridge has grown to 117, according to Al Lupiano who has been conducting his own research into a suspected cancer cluster. Themed FAFSA Nights: To make FAFSA steps more fun we created themed events. Suppose a group of people live in a community that has a higher than expected number of cases of a certain type of cancer. Toms River started anecdotally and then when the scientists looked at the numbers they found a cluster, he said. Parent Promotion- Events were promoted using Spanish and English flyers, email, text and phone. Why has no one attempted to contact the individual who brought the potential cancer cluster to light? In many cases there might not be a common cause for the cancers, but it can be hard for everyone to feel sure of that. 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. Probe at Colonia High School Looks At Possible Link Between School and Brain Tumors - NBC New York New Jersey Cancer Cluster Probe at NJ HS Underway After 100+ Diagnosed With Brain. 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). Investigating suspected cancer clusters and responding to community concerns: Guidelines from CDC and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Find Us . This petition starter stood up and took action. Facebook Colonia High School A cluster of brain tumors and cancer in people associated with a single New Jersey high school is causing concern. Other agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences (NIEHS), may also help investigate. If needed, the state or local health department might ask federal agencies for help with the investigation. Was it 5 years ago? It draws our attention because this story is not usual and theres a part of me, and others, who want to help drill down what is causing this.. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Why havent any soil, groundwater and indoor air samples been collected to make sure no carcinogenic contaminants are present? People are exposed to countless natural and man-made substances during their lifetimes, and to make this even more complex, these can interact with each other. to invite to events, remind of timeline, etc. If you are concerned about a possible cancer cluster, contact your local or state health department. Cancer Facts & Figures 2019. Moving the boundaries (for example, to make the area larger or smaller) might make it look more or less likely that a cancer cluster exists. Our goal is to continue moving students through the college application process and to help students reach important scholarship deadlines. Each type of cancer has its own risk factors and causes. Their commitment to students success is evident in their authentic interactions with students and families, their willingness to try new approaches, and how they collaborate with community partners like College Connect. Was it a single event or has it been ongoing? Suspected cancer clusters can be very distressing for those affected by them. We are concerned Colonia High School parents, alumni, and township members, writing on behalf of our school community. NJ High School Cancer Cluster Continues to Perplex Experts. What does it take to outsmart cancer? In fact, there appears to be no panic at this school over the brain tumor reports, no one asking for transfers that Dawn or her son, John, know about. It can be very hard to figure out which of many exposures might be the cause: With rare exceptions, scientists dont have a way of telling what trigger (if any) may have caused cancer in any one person, whether its part of a cluster or not. All rights reserved. We insist on more action from the CDC, NJDOH and NJDEP. Note that the definition of a cancer cluster does not include anything about the cancers all having a common cause. The counselors, teaching staff and volunteers at THS go above and beyond to meet students and families where they are at. These factors need to be taken into account when determining if there are more than the expected number of cancers in a group of people. "Anytime there's any indication that there could be something on the grounds or in the building of a school, then sure, it's cause for concern," McCormac said. Jon can be contacted by email at jonhurdle@gmail.com. Lupiano is also the whistleblower who discovered a possible cancer cluster in graduates and educators from the high school. 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. But Komorek remains unconvinced, believing there could be other possible causes. Accordingly, no further testing or remediation is required or recommended atthis time," New Jersey Department of Environmental Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said in the letter. Accessed at www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/cancer-clusters-fact-sheet on April 29, 2019. Not everyone who is exposed is likely to develop cancer: To make things even more tricky, some people might be more or less likely to get cancer after being exposed to something, based on their genes. 2007;115:165-171. It sounds like they are investigating, as there are lots of things that we do not know about this, Lonser tells Newsmax. 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. 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. J Natl Cancer Inst. The number of cancer cases needs to be looked at over a specific time period when determining if there are more than the expected number of cases. Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. Become a volunteer, make a tax-deductible donation, or participate in a fundraising event to help us save lives. Suppose you took a map of the United States and started drawing random circles of different sizes in different locations. Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox. 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. 2023 www.mycentraljersey.com. Humans arent like lab animals their environments arent strictly controlled. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2013;62(RR-08):1-14. Support our nonprofit newsroom. Concerns about cancer clusters most often come up in schools, workplaces, and in certain areas of a community. Atlanta, GA, 2019. Think about how hard it would be to test for everything youve been exposed to, even if you knew where to start. Cancer Cluster FAQ. and 'What is the likelihood that a sister of me and my wife can have a brain tumor at the same time?'". The boundaries of the cluster area can be hard to define: Defining the geographic cluster area is not always as clear-cut as one might think it would be. In April, Colonia High School in Colonia, New Jersey, made national headlines after more than 100 former students and staff reported online that they had been diagnosed with brain tumors, in a period that spanned across three decades. The Woodbridge town council approved two emergency resolutions earlier this . 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