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Concern about the thyroid of children in Fukushima -Sciences Avenir with comment from Yves Lenoir of Chernobyl Children Belarus

From the comments

Yves Lenoir posted on 11-12-2012 at 18:08

I went to a doctor and an agronomist in 1989 and 1990 in the most contaminated territories of Belarus (Vietko) and Russia (Novozybkov). Doctors talk to doctors. On the thyroid, they showed us statistical tables with about 50% of nodules (generic term for them) and even more Vietko Novozybkov. There were also cases of thyroiditis. We know the rest …

Less than two years after the Fukushima digit rates of thyroid lumps and cysts in children exposed already exceeds 40% is anything but reassuring. It is time for the real health effects of Chernobyl (described in scientific papers published in the former USSR, and no official reports bidonnés the ICRP and UNSCEAR, possibly after bleaching care WHO ) serve as a reference to assess the extent of what the health outcomes of children in Fukushima is heavy.

Yves Lenoir, President Children of Chernobyl Belarus

Translated from french

The first results of a study conducted by the Medical University of the prefecture are worrying. A first case of cancer was identified in September. But confusion still reigns.

Created on 11-12-2012 12:01 – Updated 12-12-2012 at 11:27

Marie Linton,  correspondence from Japan

FAULTS. Panic among parents in Fukushima . 40% of the approximately 100,000 children who underwent an ultrasound since October 2011 have thyroid abnormalities (1), this gland hormone secretion which contributes to the growth and energy metabolism. Among them, 501 have nodules (larger than 5 mm) or cysts (over 20 mm) sufficiently disturbing to require additional tests: blood, urine test and possibly needle biopsy (removal of cells in thyroid through a fine needle). But only 109 of these 501 children have actually passed this series of tests has detected one case of cancer of the thyroid in a 16 years last September.

The Fukushima Medical University leads this large epidemiological study among 360,000 children in the prefecture under 18 at the time of the accident nuclear . These are considered to be directly or university in their city centers approved by the university. All must pass a thyroid ultrasound every two years until their twentieth anniversary and every five years. In April 2014, all children will be expected to have had an initial examination.

The people have in mind the precedent of Chernobyl

The first results, including the figure of 40% of thyroid lesions, caused confusion in the prefecture of Fukushima. Anguished parents flock to private clinics to pass examinations, against their offspring.The private hospital in the prefecture-level city Azuma has explored the thyroids of 400 children since last August, part of which had already undergone official testing.

DOUBLE CONFIRMATION. “99% of the time, we come to the same conclusions as the medical university, says Dr. Ikuo Higuchi who performs ultrasounds. But parents want a double confirmation.“The people have in mind the precedent of Chernobyl: 8000 cases of thyroid cancer diagnosed to date in the most contaminated areas (2).

A child during an ultrasound performed by Ikuo Higutchi, Azuma doctor at the hospital in the city of Fukushima. Photo of William Bression for Sciences et Avenir.

Radioactive iodine released during a nuclear disaster tends to bind to the thyroid when it is inhaled or ingested. It radiates so this hormonal gland located at the base of the neck throughout the life of the radioactive elements (iodine 131 has a half-life of 8 days). Children and infants whose growing thyroid is particularly sensitive to this contamination, and therefore more likely to develop cancer.

POINT ZERO. But what does this figure of 40% of anomalies? The number of cases of thyroid cancer will he burn in Fukushima like Chernobyl? Researchers in endocrinology or radiation are still struggling to decide. “Do not draw conclusions from this first examination risky, says Dr. Abraham Behar, president of the Association of French physicians for prevention of nuclear war . It is simply ‘point zero’, which will allow to see how the situation evolves. ‘

MEETING. Touring party in the prefecture to calm the parents, the teacher Shinichi Suzuki, M. “Thyroid” of the MedicalUniversity of Fukushima , says radioactivity can not be disputed at this stage as nodules and cysts appear naturally in the population. “It is impossible to see the effects of radioactivity so early, he provides a briefing prior to Minamisoma, 25 kilometers from the plant accident ed. thyroid cancers are the first to occur.However, even at Chernobyl, he had to wait four or five years to see what kind of cancers occur in children. “

Whether the accident nuclear is concerned, you should compare the rate of nodules and cysts detected in Fukushima children to other unexposed. The children are between 1 and 1.5% when the anomalies detected by palpation (3), much more when they undergo an ultrasound. However, such comparisons are more difficult than it seems.

NAGASAKI. Was believed that such study conducted in Nagasaki, Japan , in 2001, on the thyroids of 250 children, would serve as the master standard. Even if it had been co-authored by Professor Yamashita, Vice President controversial Fukushima Medical University (4). At the time, the ultrasound showed that only 1.6% of children had abnormal thyroid less than Fukushima, so (5).

Technological progress: an argument to refute any shock comparison

The problem, says Professor Suzuki, is that “only nodules and cysts more than 5 mm were included in this study in Nagasaki, and today, we are able to detect lesions less a millimeter. That is why we found so many nodules and cysts in Fukushima. “ Technological advances and the ability to detect micro-defects are shock-argument officials Fukushima Medical University to refute any comparison.

MONEY. Only solution: conduct studies with control groups in Japan with the same type of device (General Electric Logiq-e-Expert). They are currently: 4500 children spend ultrasound of the thyroid in Aomori, Yamashita and Nagasaki with the same techniques as those used at Fukushima.

For Dr. Hisako Sakiyama, an expert in radiation and former researcher at the Japan Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), these studies key arrive too late, however:

“I asked Professor Yamashita why they did not witness these groups started earlier and he mentioned money problems. I find this a questionable scientific point of view. ‘

SIZE. To assess the severity of the situation, we must also take into account the nature of the lesions found in the thyroid glands of children. The Fukushima Medical University constantly distinguishes cysts – liquid – nodules – solid tissue damage. However, an overwhelming majority of anomalies are cysts (97.5%), which concerned a lot less than endocrinologists nodules. “Nodules observed frequency is very low, so no worrying in itself, says Professor Eric Renard, endocrinologist CHU Montpellier. cysts pure are very rarely cancerous nodules as can be. This is especially the increase in size of a nodule in a few months apart makes it suspect, or hardness on palpation.“Hence the importance of regular monitoring of children in Fukushima.

MIXED. Cysts Some, however, may show insidious. “Strict diagnosis of pure cyst is difficult to establish, admits Professor Eric Renard. Lot of ‘cysts’, especially if they are large, are actually mixed liquido-solid nodules predominantly liquid. It is therefore prudent to apply the rule to monitor large ‘cysts’ identical solid nodules. “This is why theMedical University of Fukushima has planned additional tests for the five children detected with cysts greater than 20 mm in diameter.

Less frequent in children than in adults, the nodules are also more dangerous. “Of these nodules, the incidence of cancer is higher s in children than in adults, says Professor Eric Renard. estimated the rate of cancerous nodules is approximately 20% in children less than 10% against adults when they are over a centimeter. ‘

PROGNOSIS. To date, 167 of the 100 000 children examined have one or more nodules an inch and five cysts suspected of more than 20 mm. Considering that 20% of these nodules and cysts may be cancerous suspects would lead to about 34 potential cases of thyroid cancer, ie 340 potential cases per million. A very high number compared to the number usually found in thyroid cancers in children between 0.5 and 2 cases per million children under 15 years (6).

This figure has no prognostic value because it takes into account that some of the children of Fukushima and the number of nodules more than a centimeter will evolve in the coming exams.

Why the Japanese did not take iodine tablets?

The Japan Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) is reassuring. Unlike the children of Chernobyl, says he, no child Fukushima has been exposed to over 100 mSv at the thyroid – the dose at which the risk of cancer increases with certainty.

MEASURE. Institute relies on radioactivity measurements made ​​between 24 and 30 March 2011, two weeks after the accident , on the thyroids of 1080 children from three cities near the centralnuclear Fukushima (Iwaki, Kawamata and Iitate). “It is unfortunate that the study did not” covered a much larger group, both in its membership and in its geographical distribution, says Jean-René Jordan, Executive Assistant to the protection the man at the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN). should have been repeat these measurement campaigns. ‘

Also reassuring, Fukushima Medical University insists that thyroid cancer is very treatable through surgical removal of the gland. 94% of patients survive indeed beyond 5 years (7). She added that Japanese children are major consumers of algae, very naturally eat iodized. Much more than the children of Ukraine and Belarus, which were sub-iodine during the Chernobyl disaster. Thyroid Japanese children more responsible iodine would have been less likely to receive radioactive iodine after the explosions at the Fukushima nuclear plant.

DIRECTIVE. Remains a gap that can not be undervalued: the non-ingestion by the population of iodine tablets in the early days of the disaster at the time of major releases of radioactive iodine.These pellets would have to saturate the thyroid stable iodine before the gland is exposed to in its radioactive element and fixed it there. “The nuclear safety commission recommended ten times the distribution iodine to the population, but this directive has not been followed by local governments, “says Jean-René Jordan, IRSN. This, parents do not forget their concern and is even strengthened.

Links to original article and peer reviewed evidence in french.. follow the link at the top of the french article in the text..

http://blogs.mediapart.fr/edition/japon-un-seisme-mondial/article/121212/thyroide-des-enfants-de-fukushima-lexcellent-rep

December 12, 2012 - Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized