Summary
Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts is investigating after five nurses from its fifth-floor maternity unit were diagnosed with benign brain tumors. The tumors, all benign, are three different types, the hospital said. A total of 11 staff reported health concerns.
The hospital, in collaboration with government agencies, found no environmental risk after testing possible sources like water, masks, and nearby medical treatments.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association disputes the hospital’s findings, citing limited nurse interviews and incomplete testing. The union is conducting an independent investigation.
Federal agencies have not commented. The American Cancer Society notes that such clusters require specific criteria to indicate a common cause.
This cannot be emphasized enough. Back in the 90s data came out regarding breast implants and autoimmune disorders. There was a Frontline on this topic but I’ve been unable to track it down, probably due to age.
Essentially, silicone breast implant recipients were occasionally suing after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. The correlation had people thinking there was causation, however, when you sliced the data to look at rates of autoimmune among the general population of women and the rates of autoimmune among women who’ve received silicone breast implants there was no statistical difference between the two.
Two unrelated things were happening at the same time.