Nurses’ brain tumors not linked to work environment, hospital says amid investigation
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NEWTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts is telling patients that an ongoing investigation has found no evidence that nurses on the fifth floor developed brain tumors because of where they work.
WBZ-TV reported earlier this month that nurses at the hospital are concerned about a growing number of cancer cases among staff working on a fifth-floor maternal care ward. A nurse who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor said as many as 10 nurses on the floor have been diagnosed with different brain tumors in recent years, some cancerous and some not.
Mass General Brigham/Newton-Wellesley Hospital president and chief operating officer Ellen Moloney wrote in a letter that the hospital recently started a “comprehensive evaluation” of the fifth floor working environment. She said that included a review of air and water quality, and testing for potential radiation, chemical or pharmaceutical exposures.
“Based on the results of this rigorous ongoing investigation, we can assure you that no environmental risks have been identified at our hospital,” Moloney said.
The letter says “there has been a great deal of misinformation shared on social media and in other forums.” According to the hospital, interviews with employees have identified six staff members who worked on the fifth floor and developed benign brain tumors that are not cancerous.
“We have found no evidence that these medical conditions were caused by the work environment,” Moloney said.
The nurse previously interviewed by WBZ-TV said she believes the hospital has not been supportive enough.
“We want reassurance, because this has not been a reassuring past few months for a lot of the staff members,” the nurse said. “We want to feel safe, the same way we want to make our patients feel safe.”
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