Panic as six nurses are diagnosed with brain tumor in possible cluster at Harvard-linked hospital

At least six employees at a Harvard-linked hospital have been diagnosed with brain tumors in what could be a cluster of disease.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts, said this week a sixth employee working on the hospital's maternity floor has been diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumor.

Five other employees, many of whom are nurses, working on the same floor for 'varying durations' have been struck with non-cancerous tumors in the past several years.

Officials from the hospital, part of the Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham system, said officials had found 'no environmental risk' to patients or staff since starting its investigation in December.

However, the Massachusetts Nurses Association slammed the hospital's testing as 'not comprehensive' and said it is also investigating.

It's unclear what types of brain tumors the workers have or exactly when they were diagnosed. However, contaminants in water and older buildings have been blamed for past clusters.

Nurses working on the floor have also suggested the hospital is downplaying the situation, estimating as many as 10 staff members have developed cancerous and non-cancerous brain tumors.

They called on hospital administrators to be more transparent and offer support to staffers who have had to undergo surgery and other treatments.

Ellen Moloney, president and chief operating officer of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, said in a statement: 'To date, through their employee interview process, OHS has identified six staff members who have worked for varying durations on the fifth floor and report developing benign (non-cancerous) brain tumors.

'While the Department of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) investigation is ongoing, we have found no evidence that these medical conditions were caused by the work environment.

'As always, your health, wellbeing, and safety – along with that of our employees – remain our top priority. While there has been a great deal of misinformation shared on social media and in other forums, we want to make sure you have the facts.'

Moloney said the OHS investigation is being led by a 'multi-disciplinary group of experts' and has involved interviews with impacted staff, a review of air and water quality and testing for potential radiation, chemical or pharmaceutical exposures.

All of these exposures can increase the risk of certain brain tumors by damaging cell DNA and triggering inflammation, both of which can cause cells to multiply and become cancerous.

Some hospital staff have expressed doubt that the facility's conditions are not to blame.

One nurse diagnosed with a brain tumor after working on the maternity ward said she would go into work every day with a sinking feeling in her gut.

She claimed as many as 10 of her colleagues had been diagnosed.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told WBZ-TV: 'It's getting to the point where the number just increases, and you start saying am I crazy thinking this. This can't just be a coincidence.'

She told the outlet three of her colleagues have had surgery, but believed 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,' she said.

'We want to feel safe, the same way we want to make our patients feel safe.'

The Massachusetts Nurses Association said it expects to share the results of its separate investigation with the hospital and the public in one to two weeks.

The union told the Boston Herald in a statement: 'We are glad to see the hospital is continuing to look into this situation.

'Our investigation is ongoing, and we will share the results when our health and safety division completes its review of the diagnoses reported to the MNA.'