Harvard Expert Rules Out Workplace Tumor Cluster Among 11 Newton-Wellesley Nurses
Updated
Updated · Boston Herald · Jun 14
Harvard Expert Rules Out Workplace Tumor Cluster Among 11 Newton-Wellesley Nurses
3 articles · Updated · Boston Herald · Jun 14
Summary
An independent Harvard review found no evidence that Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s fifth-floor maternity unit caused brain tumors reported among 11 current and former nurses.
Extensive testing of air, water, radiation, chemical and pharmaceutical exposures found no harmful workplace risks, and the report said the floor was a safe environment.
Nine of the 11 tumors were benign, including six meningiomas and two pituitary adenomas, while the overall mix of tumor types closely matched national U.S. brain-tumor data.
Latency analysis also undercut an occupational link: several cases appeared too soon after employment to fit known tumor-development timelines tied to workplace exposure.
The findings close an investigation launched after seven nurse cases were first reported last year, even as staff concern persisted over what appeared to be a cancer cluster.