Fukushima: Surge in cancers among young

Surge in cancers among young in Fukushima, but experts divided on cause

Anti-nuclear protesters gather at a rally in Tokyo. Photo: AP

Fifty-nine young people in Fukushima prefecture have been diagnosed with or are suspected of having thyroid cancer, but experts are divided about whether their illness is caused by nuclear radiation.

All of them were younger than 18 at the time of the nuclear meltdown in the area in March 2011. They were identified in tests by the prefectural government, which covered 239,000 people by the end of September.

At a meeting hosted by Japan's Environmental Ministry and the prefectural government on Saturday, most experts were not convinced radiation leaks from the Fukushima nuclear plant could trigger thyroid cancer in children so soon, the Asahi Shimbun reported yesterday.

Among those who voiced alarm was Toshihide Tsuda, a professor of epidemiology at Okayama University. He called upon the government to prepare for a possible increase in cases in the future.

"The rate at which children in Fukushima prefecture have developed thyroid cancer can be called frequent, because it is several times to several tens of times higher," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

He compared the figures in Fukushima with cancer registration statistics throughout Japan from 1975 to 2008 that showed an annual average of five to 11 people in their late teens to early 20s developing cancer for every 1 million people.

Tetsuya Ohira, a professor of epidemiology at Fukushima Medical University, disagreed. It was not scientific to compare the Fukushima tests with cancer registry statistics, he argued.

In November, prefectural officials deemed it unlikely that the increase in suspected and confirmed cases of cancer was linked to radiation exposure.

In the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, it was not until four or five years after the accident that thyroid cancer cases surged.

"It is known that radioactive iodine is linked to thyroid cancer. Through the intake of food, people may absorb and accumulate it inside glands," said Dr Choi Kin, a former president of the Hong Kong Medical Association.

Children might absorb more of it than adults because they were still growing, he said, but it remained to be proven that the radioactive iodine came from the nuclear disaster instead of the normal environment.

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima plant, causing the meltdown of three of its six reactors. More than 23,000 people were killed. - SOURCE

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It's been 3 years since the accident, and people are still clueless as to the real impact it will have on the people of Japan and the rest of the world. Why has so many countries across the world developed & used this technology for so many years, not knowing about the dangers & consequences? Or perhaps they know, but chose not to acknowledge and instead deny it.

Are governments taking the easy way out by advocating nuclear plants? Populations & cities are growing, and they require more and more energy. Developing countries especially, are starting to turn to nuclear power for their energy needs. But only for those who are not deemed as a threat to western powers. One such country is Malaysia.

Malaysia has plans to build not one, but 2 of these things. There's already the Lynas plant built & despite protests, has already started operations. I have a feeling that the people will live to regret the decision... one day. Just like the people of Fukushima.

The fact is, developing countries have become a dumping ground for these highly polluting & dangerous facilities which all western and developed countries are trying to get rid of. Bear in mind, the cost to run & maintain these plants are very high. And these developing countries have to rely on foreign companies & expertise to run and maintain these nuclear plants. Which translates to billions and trillions of dollars in the long run.

Anyway, back to Fukushima. Scientists predict that we will only see the effects on those affected 20-30 years from now. By then, those responsible will not be around anymore. Moreover, it is difficult to ascertain the real cause of the cancer in a person and link it to nuclear radiation.  So, in the meantime, the government & the nuclear providers pretend everything is fine and it's business as usual. Life goes on.

I wonder, currently, how safe are Japanese food in Malaysia & other countries? Since most of the ingredients are produced in Japan and assuming that some parts of the country will be contaminated with radioactive fallout, especially the water and land.

Personally, although I like Japanese food a lot,  I would rather err on the side of caution.