A cluster of brain tumors among nurses working on the same floor at a Massachusetts hospital is raising eyebrows after an investigation found “no environmental risks” at the facility.
As of April 1, officials from Mass General Brigham’s Newton-Wellesley Hospital told NBC10 Boston they have interviewed 11 staffers from various shifts on the fifth-floor maternal care labor and delivery unit.
So far, they’ve identified five cases of three different types of brain tumors, all benign. Six other cases were ruled out as brain tumors and classified as “other health concerns.”
However, a nurse recently diagnosed with a brain tumor claims that as many as 10 employees on the floor have been struck by different brain tumors in recent years — some of which were cancerous.
She told CBS News that three of her colleagues have already undergone surgery and accused the hospital of offering little support.
“We want reassurance, because this has not been a reassuring past few months for a lot of the staff members,” she said. “It’s getting to the point where the number just increases, and you start saying ‘am I crazy thinking this?’ This can’t just be a coincidence.”
Newton-Wellesley launched its investigation in December after receiving reports of the cluster of brain tumors.
Following CDC guidelines, the hospital teamed up with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, its own safety officers, and an external environmental consultant to check air quality, water, radiation levels and more.
“Based on the results of the extensive and deliberate investigation… we want to reassure our dedicated team members and all of our patients that there is not an environmental risk at Newton-Wellesley,” the hospital said in a statement.
But the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) isn’t buying it. The union claims the hospital’s environmental testing was “not comprehensive” and is conducting its own survey to dig deeper.
In a statement to NBC10 Boston, the MNA revealed it’s already received over 300 responses, emails, and calls from current and former hospital employees. They’re now working to follow up with those who requested further contact and are gathering medical records.
“The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion,” the union said in a statement.
What’s behind the tumors?
Even if an environmental factor is to blame, independent experts say it could take years — if ever — to pinpoint the exact cause.
“The most common environmental risk factor for these types of tumors is ionizing radiation,” Dr. Betsy Grunch, a neurosurgeon at Longstreet Clinic Neurosurgery in Gainesville, Georgia, said in a recent TikTok video.
“But you have to figure if there was radiation exposure, they would be having cancers all over the body, not just the brain — unless there’s some source of ionizing radiation exposure directly to the head,” she added.
Staff members have raised concerns about the potential role of hospital x-rays in the cluster, according to the Boston Herald.
Newton-Wellesley officials addressed these worries in an FAQ, stating that proper x-ray safety techniques are followed across the facility and that further testing found no abnormal or increased radiation levels on the fifth floor where the tumors have appeared.
Other theories have also surfaced. Staff have questioned whether the hospital’s drinking water or mask-wearing during the pandemic could be linked to the tumors.
The officials said the hospital’s water is tested regularly by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, but has sent additional samples from taps and ice machines to a third-party lab for extra testing. Results are expected to arrive in the coming week.
Hospital officials also emphasized there is “no scientific evidence” linking long-term mask use to brain tumors.
The pharmacy on the fourth floor, which handles chemotherapy medications, is another point of concern for some employees.
While chemotherapy drugs are known to be hazardous, the hospital asserts they are handled in a “ventilated, closed system” with strict controls in place, which have been validated during the investigation.
Not the first tumor cluster
This isn’t the first time a cluster of brain tumors has sparked questions about environmental links.
Six athletes who spent most of their careers with the Philadelphia Phillies were killed by a rare form of brain cancer, with reports suggesting that the spate of illnesses could potentially be linked to toxic chemicals in artificial turf.
Over in New Jersey, more than 100 brain tumors have been diagnosed over the last three decades among people connected to Colonia High School. That environmental investigation is currently ongoing.
“Brain tumor clusters like this are extremely rare,” said Grunch, adding that identifying the exact cause of the tumors at Newton-Wellesley will be “extremely difficult.”
“While I don’t have any good answers for you, I do think that there is some type of commonality in an environmental exposure that may or may not be identified,” she added.
