New info on the 11 diagnosed nurses
Boston Herald • • health
Key Points:
- Eleven current and former nurses from Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s fifth floor maternity wing were diagnosed with brain tumors, raising concerns about a potential cancer cluster.
- An independent report led by a Harvard professor found no evidence that the hospital environment caused the tumors, concluding the workplace is safe.
- Among the 11 nurses, all women, six had meningiomas, two had gliomas, two had pituitary adenomas, and one had an optic nerve schwannoma; most tumors were benign except the gliomas.
- The nurses’ ages ranged from 20 to 69, with varied hiring dates from the 1990s to the present, and diagnoses were confirmed through imaging or tissue analysis.
- The report dismisses the presence of a true workplace tumor cluster at the Mass General Brigham facility, alleviating fears about occupational hazards.
