A Boston-area hospital, Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital, is investigating after five nurses on its fifth-floor maternity unit developed benign brain tumors. A total of 11 employees from the unit reported health concerns, prompting the investigation. The hospital ruled out environmental risks such as disposable masks, the water supply, nearby x-rays, and chemotherapy treatment as potential causes. The Massachusetts Nurses Association, the union representing nurses at the hospital, plans to conduct an independent investigation as well.
While the hospital’s administrators are confident that there is no environmental risk at the facility, the union believes that the hospital’s investigation was not comprehensive and that the issue cannot be dismissed easily. The American Cancer Society states that for a situation to be classified as a cancer cluster, the occurrences must be of the same type, in the same area, with the same cause, and affect a number of people greater than expected based on a baseline.
As of now, a state agency spokesperson was unable to provide conclusive information on the matter, and federal occupational health and safety officials have not commented. The American Cancer Society notes that it is not uncommon for multiple people in a small area to develop cancer at the same time, as almost 4 out of 10 people in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes. The investigation into the situation at the hospital is ongoing, with questions remaining about potential causes and next steps.
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