A breast cancer cluster at a Massachusetts high school has alarmed teachers and parents and sparked emergency testing.
Principals at Uxbridge High School, located in central Massachusetts, warned parents in a letter Monday that ‘multiple’ female teachers had been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions in recent years.
It said there was no evidence that the cases were connected or that the school posed an immediate hazard to people’s health.
However, out of an abundance of caution, state health officials have now been invited to the school to carry out air quality tests and a ‘comprehensive assessment’ of the building.
Women who had been diagnosed with the cancers are also being interviewed to allow officials to determine whether there might be a common cause.
Principal Michael Rubin and Superintendent for the school district David Ljungberg, added: ‘It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another.
‘But, out of an abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.’
The letter did not reveal exactly how many cases had been detected at the school.
Leaders at Uxbridge High School, in the central area of Massachusetts, warned parents in a letter Monday that ‘multiple’ breast cancer cases had been detected among staff at the school
The school, which teaches 600 students from grades 8 through 12, remained open during testing this week, with officials saying there was no evidence of immediate danger in the building or reason to limit access to the school.
Parents who spoke to local news said the revelation had been difficult to process, particularly for families who know the teachers affected.
Steven Mandile, whose daughter is an incoming freshman at the high school, told WJAR: ‘I was overwhelmed with sadness for the teachers affected and their families. Too many people have to deal with cancer.’
He added: ‘No one is looking to fear-monger. Everyone wants to make sure that the students feel safe, that the teachers and employees and anyone that goes into this building feel safe at all times, and that they feel cared about.’
Jayden Dubois, a student at the high school, added: ‘One of the teachers, she had to leave early because of breast cancer.’
In the letter, the principals said federal officials were testing the interior and exterior of the building to ensure there were no issues with infrastructure that would have presented a risk.
Indoor and outdoor air conditioning systems were also being tested, the letter said, and the site where the school is – built in 2012 – is being reviewed to check for previous uses.
Testing has already ruled out the water supply as a potential source of contamination.
Steven Mandile, whose daughter is an incoming freshman at the high school, said he hoped the tests would help students and staff to feel safe
The letter continued: ‘Health officials are also conducting research about cancer cases (based on subjects’ age, medical history, genetic history, specific diagnoses, and other factors) to assess the statistical likelihood of common causes.
‘The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases. We are grateful for their cooperation.
‘It is important to note that DPH officials have cautioned that in workplace investigations, finding an environmental “smoking gun” is rare.’
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the US, just behind skin cancer. About 400,000 cases are diagnosed annually, while about 42,000 women die from the disease every year.
It can also be diagnosed in men, with about 2,600 cases diagnosed in the group every year.
Breast cancer has previously been linked to exposure to PCBs, or Polychlorinated Biphenyls, industrial chemicals used as sealants in buildings in the 1970s.
Building materials may also contain formaldehyde, which has been linked to numerous cancers, including breast cancers.
This marks at least the third potential breast cancer cluster to be detected in the state.
In the 1960s and 1970s, a childhood leukemia cluster in Woburn, outside Boston, was linked to contaminants found in drinking wells.
In 2003, a rise in childhood cancers in Wilmington, also outside Boston, was linked to pre-birth exposure to chemicals in the local water supply.
Massachusetts health officials also carried out an investigation at the Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s maternity floor last year after seven nurses were diagnosed with benign brain tumors. It concluded, the Boston Globe reported, that there was no evidence linking the tumors to any contaminants in the environment.
Principals at Uxbridge High School have promised to update parents on the investigation.