Newton (Mass.)-Wellesley Hospital is investigating a possible cluster of tumor cases among longtime nurses who work in the maternal care ward, CBS News reported April 1.
One nurse told CBS that up to 10 nurses have been diagnosed with brain tumors. But the hospital told Becker’s they refute that claim. Their investigation included interviews with eight nurses and found five had benign brain tumors of different diagnoses, all noncancerous. These cases were also spread across a few years.
“After we became aware of reported brain tumors in individuals who currently or previously had worked in the same area of the hospital, we conducted an extensive investigation in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Newton-Wellesley’s safety officer, radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices, and external environmental consultants,” Jonathan Sonis, MD, associate chief medical officer, vice president of medical affairs and Sandy Muse, DNP, chief nursing officer and senior vice president of patient care services, told Becker’s. “Every staff member who came forward was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the Occupational Health and Safety team to evaluate each diagnosis in the context of their individual medical history and risk factors. To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital, comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December.”
The investigation has found no environmental risks.
“Based on these results, we can confidently reassure our dedicated team members at Mass General Brigham/Newton-Wellesley Hospital and all our patients that there is no environmental risk at our facility,” Dr. Sonis and Dr. Muse said. “As always, the health and well-being of our staff, clinicians, and patients is our absolute top priority.”
