Multiple nurses get brain tumors in the same hospital unit but investigation finds no environmental risks

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 Bo...