Review Finds No Workplace Link To Newton-Wellesley Nurses' Brain Tumors: Report

NEWTON, MA — An independent review found no evidence of a tumor cluster or workplace hazard at Newton-Wellesley Hospital after 11 current and former nurses who worked in the maternity ward reported brain tumors, according to a report from Boston.com.

The external review, conducted by a Harvard Medical School professor, concluded that the hospital environment is safe and found no evidence that chemicals, radiation or other workplace exposures caused the tumors. The review examined 11 cases involving nurses who currently work or previously worked in the hospital's maternity unit. Nine of the tumors were benign and two were malignant.

Concerns about a possible cluster first surfaced last year and intensified in April when nurses raised alarms after multiple employees who worked on the hospital's fifth-floor maternity unit were diagnosed with brain tumors. The Massachusetts Nurses Association questioned whether environmental testing conducted by the hospital was comprehensive enough and pushed for additional investigation.

Since then, reviews by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, OSHA, Mass General Brigham's Occupational Health Service and independent experts have all found no evidence linking the tumors to workplace conditions at the hospital. Despite those findings, some nurses and union representatives continue to seek further review of the cases.

Hospital officials said they are exploring additional third-party reviews to further validate the conclusions.

Read more at Boston.com.

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