TOKYO (AP) – Doctors say the 185 cases of thyroid cancer found in youngsters in the Japanese region hit by the 2011 nuclear disaster cannot be linked to radiation, which they say is not the biggest cause of residents’ health problems.
Three doctors from Fukushima Medical University conducting health survey on Fukushima residents found 185 cases of malignant or suspected thyroid cancer in children. Thyroid checks were done on the 380,000 people who were 18 or younger and in Fukushima when the earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at three reactors.
Doctors said Thursday more cases were found due to blanket screening, not the radiation that leaked from the plant. They say evacuees’ stress and changing lifestyle have prompted obesity and diabetes, increasing the risk of strokes and heart problems.