national

Doctors: Radiation not biggest impact on Fukushima residents' health

69 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

69 Comments
Login to comment

sad

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

First, why is only thyroid cancer being tested and not all of the other illnesses (such as leukaemias) that are known to come from radiation exposures?

Because generally, thyroid cancer shows up within a few years of exposure, while most other cancers (such as leukemias) don't show up for a decade or longer.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

People are misunderstanding this to mean that radiation has had no harmful effects. It has, but there are other factors too. This still does not excuse the negligence of Shimizu and TEPCO.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

First, why is only thyroid cancer being tested and not all of the other illnesses (such as leukaemias) that are known to come from radiation exposures? Second, why has the Japanese government arbitrarily raised the national and internationally recognised legal standard of radiation safety from 1 to 20 mSv/y? Third, why is there still no official recognition of the proven greater impacts (roughly 20 times) from internal radiation exposure than external by the Japanese government? Fourth, radioactive materials (from the blast, wind, precipitation and water) and radioactive waste stored and incinerated from Fukushima have been distributed all over the country as far as Okinawa since at least 2012. Fifth, why does the article not show the data from thyroid cancers in other Prefectures, and these in comparison to pre-3.11 numbers in those prefectures? Sixth, why does the Japanese government deny the relevance of incidences of cancers/illnesses prior to 5 years while even some of their official scientific advisors have done studies in Chernobyl/Nagasaki to confirm that people experience illnesses from radiation exposures as early as 1-2 years after exposures? Seventh, I personally know of people across a broad age range (high school to 60s) in Fukushima prefecture (between 40 and 80 kms from the plant) who have suffered sudden cardiac arrests, aggressive cancers, leukaemia and other unusual illnesses, even though they were previously healthy with little record of illness. The answer comes down to the government being more concerned with protecting the nuclear industry and its investors and the credibility of the 'safety regulations' surrounding it than the Japanese people and everyone else exposed to radioactive contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Some commentators here are putting too much trust in the government without properly examining all of the scientific data and arguments that are available. This is not surprising. To do so is very onerous and the Japanese government and its muzzled media are not helping in the slightest with repeated obfuscation and careful misinformation.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

What about the increase in children's thyroid cancer he last 3-4 years ?

The "increase" is due to increased and intensive screening NOT due to any actual increase in the incidence.

“Those thyroid cases have been found because we conducted the survey, not because of the radiation,” said Akira Ohtsuru, an expert on radiation and thyroid ultrasound examination at the university. “The survey has caused over-diagnosis.”

1 ( +4 / -3 )

What about the increase in children's thyroid cancer he last 3-4 years ?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

No, no, and no.

your proof?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

TBH, ignoring the results of the study for the moment, is there even a lessoned to be learned from this from the general publics POV?

How does this impact what you will do going forward? Ignore all perceived negative impacts of radiation? Not allocate more resources to treating thyroid cancer?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Thyroid irregularities have been found at a similar rate in three other prefectures in southern, central and northern Japan, said another doctor

Some more information about this would be useful. From memory (weak), previous articles here have suggested there was no comparable data.

I found the article at the link below interesting about the issue of over-diagnosis. In particular, the sentence that says, based on autopsies, "thyroid cancer can easily be found in 36% of adults"

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/confusing-overdiagnosis-for-an-epidemic-of-thyroid-cancer-in-japan-after-fukushima/

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Today there are scientists who will promote findings they are paid to find. This does not necessarily have anything to do with truth. Money talks and these scientists want to keep working.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

If Fukushuma prefecture and it environs were so safe as many posters purport, why is it that countries all over the world have banned products from the area? Sea food, car tires, green tea, meat have all been rejected and /or banned by Russia, Taiwan , the EU etc. The reactors are still releasing dangerously high levels of radiation and that contamination has still not been adequately contained.Radiation from Fukushima is detectable in fish caught off the coast of California. At the moment, it is still possible to express the view that nobody has been affected by the radiation from Fukushima. However , as radiation becomes ever more concentrated in all living things (including us) in the environment then we will see a definite correlation.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

What kind of a story is this? Sounds like it was given to the press by something that is trying to cover up vital statistics. Sorry, but even though I am a mere layman when compared to a doctor, I cannot go with what the story says. I get the creepy feeling that we are being lied to about something that is bigger than what we are expected to believe.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Why not scree the whole classes or schools, and then compare the percentage of thyroid cancer among the kids who originally come from Fukushima and those who don't?

They screened the Fukushima group because of people's irrational fear. And the article clearly states they also checked 3 other groups as a control against the Fukushima group and found similar results, clearly showing that the Fukushima group does NOT have higher rates of thyroid abnormalities. It is merely a result of over-diagnosis from extreme monitoring. A well known effect in the field of medicine.

I'm not doctor but I have a hard time believing that a rise in cancer and the radiation levels are not related , I call BS !

So then how do you explain the 'rise' among the 3 groups that weren't any near Fukushima and weren't in the path of any releases? And is your disbelief in doctors just with respect to this issue or with everything medical related?

Did they compare these stats with other surveys?

The article clearly states that they compared them to 3 unaffected regions and found similar results.

why have they not provided the comparative data?

They have, it is ALL in their study. It isn't their fault that the news media didn't report it.

If the other prefectures in question have nuclear power plants which have had small radiation leaks.

But if the leak was small then the effect would be much smaller than at Fukushima.

If the other prefectures in question are storing radioactive waste from Fukushima.

No other prefecture is storing radioactive waste from Fukushima.

There are alot of variables here that have not been squared. These doctors are not exercising intellectual rigor in my opinion.

These doctors discuss 'alot of varuables' in their full report. Calim they lack intellectual rigor based on a news article and not the actual report lacks intellectual rigor.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

II am not a Doctor but this is bull dust another cover up Their is a direct link to radiation and Thyroid cancer

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

They say evacuees’ stress and changing lifestyle have prompted obesity and diabetes, increasing the risk of strokes and heart problems.

Surely most of the "stress and changing lifestyle" is due to nuclear contamination preventing them from getting back to a normal life, something that victims of simple earthquakes and tsunamis do not have to suffer. Ordinary disaster victims do not to move fifty or more miles away or worry endlessly about whether something is making them sick. There have been numerous reports of a spike in child obesity in Fukushima due children not playing outside. I would guess eating fewer vegetables due to contamination fears may be a factor too.This is because of radiation. It's radiation's fault.

So regardless of whether they can link radiation to a spike in cancers or other diseases and conditions that people normally associate with radiation, nuclear contamination (i.e., radiation) is definitely causing other conditions that are making people unwell. Those people are still victims of radiation.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Talk about Radioactive contamination is like Taboo in present Japan. even unrest against Radiation leaks have been oppressed as "Unpatriotic" "hindrance to reconstruction".

exactly!

Mikkai said it best.

Thyroid Cancer: Before the Atomic Age Children’s thyroid cancer is (was) an extremely uncommon “disease” (mutation). It’s world spontaneous rate doesn’t exceed 1 – 2 cases per 1 million, and ONLY in 60, 70 years old people, NOT children. This speaks for rapid aging phenomena Alexey Yablokov said, and "cancer becomes heritable (I think that increased thyroid cancer incidence of children from irradiated parents would be first manifestation of the induced genomic instability" as Rosa Goncharova said.

Thyroid irregularities have been found at a similar rate in three other prefectures in southern, central and northern Japan,

The fact is, there may be elevated levels of thyroid cancer in other prefectures that are also due to radiation. For example:

If the other prefectures in question have nuclear power plants which have had small radiation leaks.

If the other prefectures in question are storing radioactive waste from Fukushima.

If the children tested in the other prefectures in question have been eating contaminated food.

There are alot of variables here that have not been squared. These doctors are not exercising intellectual rigor in my opinion.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Talk about Radioactive contamination is like Taboo in present Japan.

even unrest against Radiation leaks have been oppressed as "Unpatriotic" "hindrance to reconstruction".

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

The truth about the effects of Fukushima radiation will probably never be known because the only voices that get any attention tend to be those who shout loudest(extremists) or from the highest position of authority (government).

Neither should believed. The truth is almost invariably somewhere in the grey middle.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Readers, that ends the bickering. Please focus your comments on what is in the story and not at each other.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Please do not say "No you're not" when other readers reply to you. That is both impolite and arrogant.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

MOVE OUT THERE, and THEN I will listen to what you have to say.

This lady did. But you won't listen to her because she's hugely critical of what you have to say <//www.huffingtonpost.jp/claire-leppold/fukushima-and-the-art-of-knowing-en_b_10537440.html

0 ( +6 / -6 )

how fat was the hush envelope i wonder..

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

government policy is not evidence of scientific research

I'll agree with that, considering that the gov is touting the safety of nuclear energy.

Fortunately, no one is ridiculous enough to make your strawman argument a concern in reality.

no but there are those like you who will argue that harmful levels of radiation are confined only to the reactor and that everywhere else is safe. THAT is the ridiculous strawman argument right there.

The fact is, I'm really just part of the pro-science crowd

Then read the links I sent you

I am more than willing to be skeptical of the nuclear industry if people will actually put in the effort to make a critical case based on science.

No you're not. I've sent you 2 links above. others like Mikkai have also posted good responses that you have chosen to ignore. The fact of the matter is that you cherry pick the info that you like that suits your belief that nuclear energy is safe and clean.

The onus is on you to get data

I've sent you links which you have not bothered to read, so spare me the intellictual rigor lecture. It is you who has provided nothing. I look on this thread and see that you have not provided ANY links NOR have you bothered to read the ones I sent you. at least read my links before making such baseless remarks, please.

But that is what I expect from the pro nukes crowd anyway. Same Modus Operandi.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Aly RustomMAR. 10, 2017 - 02:09PM JST You mean asides from the fact that the gov itself still has a no go zone??

Yes, actually. While I'm sure we'd all agree scientific research should be driving government policy, government policy is not evidence of scientific research.

Asides from the fact that the radiation is so high inside the reactor that even ROBOTS malfunction after a few minutes?

When someone calls for people to settle inside the reactor, then the radiation level inside the reactor will matter. Fortunately, no one is ridiculous enough to make your strawman argument a concern in reality.

This is a typical point from the pro nukes crowd.

You need to calm down and think things through before you post, not lash out with conspiracy accusations suggesting I'm part of the "pro nukes crowd" just because I disagree with you.

The fact is, I'm really just part of the pro-science crowd. I am more than willing to be skeptical of the nuclear industry if people will actually put in the effort to make a critical case based on science. Unfortunately, arguments like yours that just play rhetorical games without actually exercising any scientific research hurt that cause by making people who oppose the nuclear industry look uninformed and alarmist. The onus is on you to get data, and if your case is as strong as you pretend, it should not be hard to get the data you need. The fact that you repeatedly refuse to do so however...

7 ( +10 / -3 )

You and other posters here would like to argue their evidence is falsified without a shred of evidence to support your case.

You mean asides from the fact that the gov itself still has a no go zone?? Asides from the fact that the radiation is so high inside the reactor that even ROBOTS malfunction after a few minutes? Yet people like you still want to tout that beyond that tiny area, it is not safe.

It doesn't require anyth

ing so dramatic as relocating an entire family just to make a rhetorical point.

Yes it does. This is a typical point from the pro nukes crowd. We don't need to go there to prove that its safe. But just believe us. Sorry. Doesn't work. When you post from close to the exclusion zone, I'll listen.

So, how's about the anti-nuclear brigade here actually make their case based on something more sturdy than conspiracy theories and FUD?

Here's some advice for YOU katsu

Jacobs suggests a simple but necessary formula to combat nuclear amnesia: see the impacts of radiation exposure “before they become vaguely visible as cancers nestled in health population statistics”.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/03/09/five-years-of-forgetting-the-fukushima-disaster-and-nuclear-amnesia/

http://www.helencaldicott.com/fukushima-report-10000-excess-cancers-expected-japan-result-2011-reactor-meltdowns-ongoing-radiation-exposure/

http://alexanderhiggins.com/cnn-nuclear-coverup-in-japan/

Happy reading katsu

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Chernobyl: The WHO in Geneva is ending studies after 10 years thereby excluding long term morbidity and mortality; qualifying five year survival as “cure”, only considering cancer, those still alive and the three most affected countries; claiming decreases in childhood cancers when in fact children have become adults with cancer and therefore no longer appear in that database." quote Alison Katz, former WHO employee

“Dr. Mettler (IAEA) learned well that solid cancers without a ten year latency period did not “count” as radiation-related under ICRP latency models. Therefore the Chernobyl thyroid cancers were seen, but not reported as radiogenic, since they were within five years of a disaster!” quote Dr. Rosalie Bertell

Thyroid Cancer: Before the Atomic Age Children’s thyroid cancer is (was) an extremely uncommon “disease” (mutation). It’s world spontaneous rate doesn’t exceed 1 – 2 cases per 1 million, and ONLY in 60, 70 years old people, NOT children. This speaks for rapid aging phenomena Alexey Yablokov said, and "cancer becomes heritable (I think that increased thyroid cancer incidence of children from irradiated parents would be first manifestation of the induced genomic instability" as Rosa Goncharova said.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Aly RustomMAR. 10, 2017 - 01:03PM JST For anyone (these doctors and the posters here too) who thinks that thyroid cancer is not related to radiation my answer is very simple: Put your money where your mouth is. Prove it. Go and move just next to the exclusion zone. Or send your children there for a year. Who here would dare to do that? These doctors that say there is no relationship should move THEIR children there to show that its safe.

They already provided evidence to support their case. You and other posters here would like to argue their evidence is falsified without a shred of evidence to support your case. The onus is on you to prove there is still a threat in these towns.

It doesn't require anything so dramatic as relocating an entire family just to make a rhetorical point. Dosimeters are relatively cheap. If the area is irradiated as badly as you say, someone should be able to provide evidence of it. Radiation is scary in the minds of the uneducated because it's generally invisible, however it's not magical. We can detect it if we just make the effort. So, how's about the anti-nuclear brigade here actually make their case based on something more sturdy than conspiracy theories and FUD?

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Excellent post Zichi. Well said.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

For anyone (these doctors and the posters here too) who thinks that thyroid cancer is not related to radiation my answer is very simple:

Put your money where your mouth is. Prove it. Go and move just next to the exclusion zone. Or send your children there for a year. Who here would dare to do that? These doctors that say there is no relationship should move THEIR children there to show that its safe.

When they had the mad cow disease scare in the UK a couple of decades ago, UK gov officials went on tv eating beef in front of the cameras for weeks on end. This went along way in restoring not only British people's confidence in their beef, but also the general EU. Here, we don't have this. Only doctors and posters here who are not living near the exclusion zone saying that the area just outside of the exclusion zone is safe. That's very easy to say when you are miles away.

MOVE OUT THERE, and THEN I will listen to what you have to say.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

The truth about Fukushima and radiation is probably somewhere between what the government says, and what the conspiracy theorists her say.

It's probably worse than what the doctors (and government) are saying, but not by as much as what the most extreme views here are insinuating.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Sometime the medical bill is the biggest impact on health.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Educator60 - A number of posters here seemed to have missed this part of the article: "Thyroid irregularities have been found at a similar rate in three other prefectures in southern, central and northern Japan, "

I didn't miss or ignore anything! If this is the case, why have they not provided the comparative data? If he said the moon was blue, are we supposed to believe him without any proof? Without facts to back up these claims it is fiction!

Are you familiar with Aristotle's 'tools of persuasion'? Ethos, Pathos and Logos. This joker only uses Ethos. We are supposed to believe him just because he is a doctor. However, without Logos (facts) his claims are jargon! He also attempts to use Pathos (emotion) by claiming the stress and obesity are more serious inflictions appealing to an emotional response. He is a TEPCO puppet telling people lies! Plain and simple!

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Government employees, probably. Why give the government a clean(er) bill of health? promotion coming up soon?

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Totally true. These doctors are correct. They should have also done a study in an area no where near the disaster with the same age group and numbers. They would have found the same numbers with thyroid cancer.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

suddenly this remind me of the case happened in Malaysia during 80's, where the Mitsubishi set up a rare earth refinery plant at a small region named Bukit Merah in Malaysia, right opposite the plant that's a small village with around 5000 population. Thru out the 10 years plant operation, there're more than 10 cases blood cancer of children found almost in the same time, instead the region became the world's highest blood cancer discovered rate during that particular time, beside that the rate of abortion for pregnancy women and deformed new born baby are also extraordinary high! But then a group of medical expert sending from Tokyo to carry out a processional study on this phenomena, and the result? Yes.... cannot be linked to the refinery plant. Karma...

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

The raw number of cases (185) is a misleading statistic in this case. The search for thyroid cases in the Fukushima area has expanded since the disaster, so more cases would be detected earlier than if they simply tallied the number of cases from youngsters showing up presenting symptoms of thyroid cancer over a longer time span. This needs to be compared to the prevalence in the population (i.e., number of persons per 100,000 who present with symptoms) before the disaster, as it scales for the increase in numbers of people screened. Maybe I missed it, but the article only states one number (185), so making any conclusions based on that alone really doesn't mean anything more than they found 185 kids with thyroid cancer.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Wishing and hoping for a phantom cancer epidemic is the sign of sick minds.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

It is their job to deny any radiation link to the growing number of illnesses. Some of the newer thyroid cancer findings were discovered in people who previously had a clean screening. How they continue to make these excuses with a straight face is beyond me.

-1 ( +6 / -7 )

So this was done in order to combat the news of extraordinarily high reading inside the plant from a month ago? "Calm down people, live life as normal."

Absolutely. As Safecast reported at the time - it does not mean that levels there are rising, but that a previously unmeasurable high-radiation area has finally been measured. They also said Safecast’s own measurements, including our Pointcast realtime detector system have shown radiation levels near Daiichi to be steadily declining

1 ( +7 / -6 )

A spin doctor with an MD.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

So this was done in order to combat the news of extraordinarily high reading inside the plant from a month ago? "Calm down people, live life as normal."

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Doctors are in on it with TEPCO and the government to try to cover up. I don't care what these doctors, TEPCO or the government say, these children have this cancer one way or another because of that plant and it's high time to take responsibility for it. These doctors are forced to say such things or risk their own careers.

Koichi Tanigawa and Akira Ohtsuru are real jerks for going along with this mislead.

With all said and done, how about this challenge, Koichi Tanigawa and Akira Ohtsuru, TEPCO top management and the government officials that are at the top and responsible, move yourselves and your family members back to ground zero or just around the facility. What will your excuse be not to take this challenge?

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

“Those thyroid cases have been found because we conducted the survey, not because of the radiation,”

though some researchers say thyroid cancer rate in the prefecture is higher than what is generally found and could be related to the radiation.

Ohtsuru did acknowledge there are still unknowns about the radiation impact on human health, citing the need for a long-term survey.

What a load of contradictory garbage! Every statement is followed by a contradicting statement. If they intend to prove there is no higher incidents of thyroid cancer in Fukushima children they must include factual comparative studies from different areas not just vague proclamations of "about the same". Once again we see the government attempting to downplay the severity of the meltdowns and its aftereffects. It is good to see them acknowledging the stress and obesity issues, but they are doing anything about it.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

"..A team of doctors from Fukushima Medical University.."

Local doctors from local University, they should use doctors from various universities to avoid any bias.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/03/mystery-cancers-are-cropping-children-aftermath-fukushima

"...published his results online in Epidemiology, concluding that the first round of screening indicated cancer incidence rates ranging from 0 to 605 cases per million kids, depending on location, but overall “an approximately 30-fold increase” over the normal childhood cancer rate..."

It's already 30 fold increase and for thyroid, the latency period is up to 30 years so more cases will show up.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

“Those thyroid cases have been found because we conducted the survey, not because of the radiation,”

The typical deniers's attitude here, there is certainly no connection between a survey and the determination of the factor responsible of those Thyroid cancers ... we can just notice that it does not stop him to claim the survey is the reason.

Thyroid cancer is among the most curable cancers, though some patients who have their thyroid removed need lifelong >>medication and regular checks.

So we should accept our children to develop some so the nuclear industry can economically develop ?

Ohtsuru did acknowledge there are still unknowns about the radiation impact on human health, citing the need for a long->>term survey.

That is awesome, well then his bias toward the nuclear lobby is the only thing we can be sure about, maybe he should read studies on chernobyl if that doctor feels there are still "unknown" on what he is talking about. There is the Linear no-threshold model which is, obviously, challenged only by the nuclear village and the people in their payroll because they want to keep the money flowing...

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Alfie, from the very same article

Fukushima Medical University, the main academic body studying the health effects of the nuclear disaster, says no sickness linked to radiation has been detected so far, although sickness from lack of exercise, poor diet and mental stress has been observed.

So many different experts from so many different areas are saying exactly the same thing.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Once again, the random internet posters on JT think they know better than medical and nuclear professionals

"Government official Yuji Ishizaki, who is overseeing the lifting of evacuation orders, says he is merely following policy.

“There is no clear boundary for what is safe or not safe for radiation,” he said. “Even 1 millisievert might not be absolutely safe"

Well, if the Japanese government doesn't know, you can hardly blame random internet people for not knowing...

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/11/national/nuclear-refugees-tell-distrust-pressure-return-fukushima/#.WMHgUfIuNIU

"Merely following policy". I've heard that one before somewhere. Where could that have been?

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

Well, Japanese doctors....

Yes, it's only Japanese doctors saying it isn't it?

http://www.huffingtonpost.jp/claire-leppold/fukushima-and-the-art-of-knowing-en_b_10537440.html

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Radiation not biggest impact on Fukushima residents' health...

No duh!! They only just had their family, friends, neighbors and entire city washed away in a giant tsunami. Yeah, I guess that would mess you up a bit... omg...

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Did they compare these stats with other surveys? Im curious to see the difference of the 185 children here with 185 from lets say Tokyo to compare before passing any judgement.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Once again, the random internet posters on JT think they know better than medical and nuclear professionals.

3 ( +15 / -12 )

Its obvious that the medical industry and government are linked, so believing them wouldn't be too intelligent for a citizen. "A team of experts from Fukushima University...." here's my problem, I know that in that team are a couple leaders who will direct tothe entire team what to think, say, do, and report. These Sempai leaders are also told what to do and report to the media as well. And finally in Japan the punishment for say, lying to the public about national health issues is, a bow and a mutter. A bow and a mutter issued by an underling half the time.

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

What are they trying to accomplish here?? So if these doctors don't think radiation is causing health problems, by all means they and their families should be the first ones to move back to the disaster zones. They should have NO complaints to do so and should set examples with their actions if they truly believe what they are claiming.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

Empty white coats following the government's hush orders.

-1 ( +10 / -11 )

I wonder how people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki could live and can still live at the same places where atomic bombs exploded without serious sicknesses from radiations.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

I'm not doctor but I have a hard time believing that a rise in cancer and the radiation levels are not related , I call BS !

0 ( +11 / -11 )

Bunch of idiot doctors... that's all I will say...

Idiot doctors... idiot international doctors... idiot international experts...

Yup, those specialists just don't have a clue do they?

-5 ( +12 / -17 )

Bunch of idiot doctors... that's all I will say...

-4 ( +10 / -14 )

Be that as it may, why did they then decide to target only this specific population with these cancer screenings? Was it not exactly because they expected to find thyroid cancer particularly in these children? I'm a little confused. Why not scree the whole classes or schools, and then compare the percentage of thyroid cancer among the kids who originally come from Fukushima and those who don't?

0 ( +8 / -8 )

The perceived danger of radiation, leading to fear amplified by the media and various scaremongering groups have damaged the people far more than the radiation itself. The levels in Japan are among the lowest in the world, lower than Europe and mainland Asia for example.

0 ( +14 / -14 )

i do believe there is something to do with the radiation. stress can caused different types of cancer not particular thyroid.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Just looking for any excuses not to be found responsible for any illnesses related to the disaster.

2 ( +17 / -15 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites