Sixth brain tumor case found among staff on the same floor at a Massachusetts hospital

A sixth staff member with a brain tumor has been identified at one Massachusetts hospital, which earlier this month insisted “no environmental risks” were at play.

All six staffers work or have worked on the fifth floor of Mass General Brigham’s Newton-Wellesley Hospital, located about 20 minutes west of Boston.

Each of the brain tumor cases was benign, though six additional staffers on the floor were found to have “other health concerns.”

News broke earlier this month that several people working in the maternal care labor and delivery unit had developed brain tumors.

One of those people told CBS News that she was among as many as 10 nurses who’d had brain tumors — both cancerous and noncancerous — over the past few years.

“It’s getting to the point where the number just increases, and you start saying, ‘Am I crazy thinking this?’” she said. “This can’t just be a coincidence.” 

However, the hospital insists that during an investigation, they found no environmental risks on the fifth floor that would be contributing to these tumors.

“After we became aware of reported brain tumors in individuals who currently or previously had worked in the same area of the hospital, we conducted an extensive investigation in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Newton-Wellesley Safety Officer, radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices, and external environmental consultants,” officials with Newton-Wellesley Hospital said in a statement to NBC10 Boston.

Since beginning in December, they talked to staff, collected medical histories and conducted “comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines.”

“The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor,” they concluded.

They also found that just five staff members at the time — all nurses — had brain tumors. They did not elaborate on the health concerns of the six others.

NBC10 Boston has now reported that a sixth staffer with a tumor has come forward, according to a representative for the hospital.

The hospital has told employees that their health, well-being and safety are their “top priority.”

Unsatisfied with the investigation is the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which told Boston.com they are engaged with the hospital about their inquiry.

“They only spoke to a small number of nurses and their environmental testing was not comprehensive,” they said. “The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion.”

Meanwhile, the nurse who estimated that the total number of cases is higher than what was confirmed by the investigation says the hospital hasn’t been sufficiently supportive, especially in light of several of the nurses undergoing surgery.

“We want reassurance, because this has not been a reassuring past few months for a lot of the staff members,” she said. “We want to feel safe, the same way we want to make our patients feel safe.”