NBC News
A hospital in the Boston area is investigating the development of brain tumors in five employees of the Nursing Unit, whose gender and identities are still unknown, who worked on the same floor of the medical center.
The Brigham Newton-Wellesley General Hospital in Massachusetts reported that, in total, 11 employees of the nursing unit in the maternity area of the fifth plant presented health problems. Five of them presented brain tumors, all benign. Two of the people present the most common benign type: Meningioma, the hospital reported in Newton, located about 16 kilometers west Boston.
“The investigation did not find environmental risks that could be related to the development of a brain tumor,” Jonathan Sonis, associated medical director, and Sandy Muse, Hospital Nursing Director, said in a statement.
The hospital indicated that his research was conducted in collaboration with the government authorities of health and safety and that he considered multiple possible sources. He ruled out the disposable masks, water supply, nearby radiographs and chemotherapy treatment on the lower floor, the hospital said.
“Based on these results, we can assure our dedicated team with confidence … Already all our patients that there is no environmental risk in our facilities,” said the administrators.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), the union that negotiates the compensation of nurses of the Newton-Wellesley hospital, said he will continue to investigate.
“At this time, the best way to help is to complete an independent scientific investigation,” MNA spokesman Joe Markman said Friday. “That research is underway and could take more weeks.”
The union indicated that nurses expressed concerns about occupational health, which led to the discovery of cases with tumors.
“The hospital only spoke with a small number of nurses and their environmental tests were not exhaustive,” he said. “The hospital cannot solve this problem trying to reach a predetermined conclusion.”
A spokesman for a state agency could not provide conclusive information on the matter before the publication of this article. Federal authorities of occupational health and safety did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
The American Cancer Society states that, to comply with the definition of cancer conglomerate, cases must be the same type, be in the same area, have the same cause and affect a number of people “greater than expected” when a reference point for cases is established.
“Almost 4 out of 10 people in the United States will develop cancer throughout their lives,” society said on their website on cancer conglomerates. Therefore, it is not uncommon for several people in a relatively small area to develop cancer at the same time.
