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Saenko V, Mitsutake N. Radiation-Related Thyroid Cancer. Endocr Rev 2024; 45:1-29. [PMID: 37450579 PMCID: PMC10765163 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnad022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Radiation is an environmental factor that elevates the risk of developing thyroid cancer. Actual and possible scenarios of exposures to external and internal radiation are multiple and diverse. This article reviews radiation doses to the thyroid and corresponding cancer risks due to planned, existing, and emergency exposure situations, and medical, public, and occupational categories of exposures. Any exposure scenario may deliver a range of doses to the thyroid, and the risk for cancer is addressed along with modifying factors. The consequences of the Chornobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plant accidents are described, summarizing the information on thyroid cancer epidemiology, treatment, and prognosis, clinicopathological characteristics, and genetic alterations. The Chornobyl thyroid cancers have evolved in time: becoming less aggressive and driver shifting from fusions to point mutations. A comparison of thyroid cancers from the 2 areas reveals numerous differences that cumulatively suggest the low probability of the radiogenic nature of thyroid cancers in Fukushima. In view of continuing usage of different sources of radiation in various settings, the possible ways of reducing thyroid cancer risk from exposures are considered. For external exposures, reasonable measures are generally in line with the As Low As Reasonably Achievable principle, while for internal irradiation from radioactive iodine, thyroid blocking with stable iodine may be recommended in addition to other measures in case of anticipated exposures from a nuclear reactor accident. Finally, the perspectives of studies of radiation effects on the thyroid are discussed from the epidemiological, basic science, and clinical points of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Saenko
- Department of Radiation Molecular Epidemiology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Norisato Mitsutake
- Department of Radiation Molecular Epidemiology, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
- Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
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2
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Kato T, Yamada K, Hongyo T. Area Dose-Response and Radiation Origin of Childhood Thyroid Cancer in Fukushima Based on Thyroid Dose in UNSCEAR 2020/2021: High 131I Exposure Comparable to Chernobyl. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4583. [PMID: 37760552 PMCID: PMC10526940 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15184583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The FMU and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) concluded that the high incidence of thyroid cancer after the Fukushima nuclear accident was not the result of radiation exposure, but rather might have been overdiagnosis based on the low thyroid dose estimated in the UNSCEAR 2020/2021 report. In this study, the origin of increased PTC in Fukushima was examined based on the thyroid dose estimated by UNSCEAR. The dose-response relationship of the incidence rate per person-years (PY) was analyzed for four areas in Fukushima prefecture via regression analysis. The linear response of the annual incidence rates to thyroid dose in the first six years showed that the dominant origin of childhood thyroid cancer was radiation exposure. Excess absolute risk (EAR) proportionally increased with thyroid dose, with an EAR/104 PY Gy of 143 (95%CI: 122, 165) in the second TUE (p < 0.001), which is approximately 50-100 times higher than the EAR/104 PY Gy ≒ 2.3 observed after the Chernobyl accident. This suggests an underestimation of the thyroid dose by UNSCEAR of approximately 1/50~1/100 compared with the thyroid dose for Chernobyl. The increased childhood thyroid cancer in Fukushima was found to arise from radioactive iodine exposure, which was comparable to that in Chernobyl.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tadashi Hongyo
- Department of Radiation Biology, Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan;
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3
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Sakai A, Tsuyama N, Ohira T, Sugai-Takahashi M, Ohba T, Azami Y, Matsumoto Y, Manabu I, Suzuki S, Sato M, Hosoya M, Ishikawa T, Suzuki S. No increase in translocated chromosomal aberrations, an indicator of ionizing radiation exposure, in childhood thyroid cancer in Fukushima Prefecture. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14254. [PMID: 37652956 PMCID: PMC10471584 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41501-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
To investigate the effects of radiation exposure due to the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, following the disaster Fukushima Prefecture launched thyroid ultrasound examinations of residents who were generally younger than 18 years at the time of the earthquake. As the rate of pediatric thyroid cancer was higher than expected, we conducted biological dose assessment based on the frequency of translocated chromosome (Tr) aberrations using peripheral blood lymphocytes. Tr formation frequency was compared among the thyroid cancer (n = 38, median age 18 years, age range 12-26 years), thyroid-related disease (n = 30, median age 21 years, age range 15-28 years), and healthy controls (n = 31, median age 22 years, age range 20-23 years) groups. Tr aberration frequency was initially significantly higher in the thyroid cancer than in the other two groups; however, differences among the groups disappeared after adjusting for history of CT scan, as 92%, 67%, and 28% of those in the thyroid cancer, thyroid-related disease, and control groups, respectively, had undergone CT previously. Therefore, the significant difference in the initial number of Tr formations is presumably due to radiation exposure from CT. Accordingly, the effects of medical exposure on the chromosomes of children and adolescents should be noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Sakai
- Department of Radiation Life Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
| | - Naohiro Tsuyama
- Department of Radiation Life Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ohira
- Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Misaki Sugai-Takahashi
- Department of Radiation Life Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Takashi Ohba
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Yusuke Azami
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Southern Tohoku General Hospital, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Matsumoto
- Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Iwadate Manabu
- Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Satoshi Suzuki
- Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Maki Sato
- Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Mitsuaki Hosoya
- Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Ishikawa
- Department of Radiation Physics and Chemistry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Shinichi Suzuki
- Department of Thyroid Treatment, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
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4
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Ishikawa T, Yasumura S, Akahane K, Yonai S, Sakai A, Kurihara O, Hosoya M, Sakata R, Ohira T, Ohto H, Kamiya K. External Doses Available for Epidemiological Studies Related to the Fukushima Health Management Survey: First 4-month Individual Doses and Municipality-average Doses for the First Year. J Epidemiol 2022; 32:S11-S22. [PMID: 36464295 PMCID: PMC9703927 DOI: 10.2188/jea.je20210166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the components of the Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS) is the Basic Survey, which estimates individual external doses for the first 4 months after the 2011 nuclear power plant accident. However, external exposure continues long-term. According to estimations by international organizations, the external dose during the first year accounts for a significant part of the long-term dose. Thus, the present study was intended to estimate the first-year doses by extrapolating the Basic Survey results. METHODS For most municipalities of non-evacuated areas, ambient dose rate had been continuously measured for at least one designated point in each municipality after the accident. In the present study, a municipality-average dose received by residents for a period was assumed to be proportional to the ambient dose measured at the designated point of that municipality during the same period. Based on this assumption, 4-month municipality-average doses calculated from the Basic Survey results were extrapolated to obtain first-year doses. RESULTS The extrapolated first-year doses for 49 municipalities in the non-evacuated areas had a good correlation with those estimated by UNSCEAR, although the extrapolated doses were generally higher (slope of the regression line: 1.23). The extrapolated municipality-average doses were in reasonable agreement (within 30%) with personal dosimeter measurements, suggesting that the extrapolation was reasonable. CONCLUSION The present paper reports the first 4-month average doses for all 59 municipalities of Fukushima Prefecture and the extrapolated first-year doses for 49 municipalities. The extrapolated doses will be the basis for future epidemiological studies related to the FHMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Ishikawa
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Seiji Yasumura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Keiichi Akahane
- National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Yonai
- National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Akira Sakai
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Osamu Kurihara
- National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Mitsuaki Hosoya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Ritsu Sakata
- Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ohira
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ohto
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kenji Kamiya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Shimura H, Suzuki S, Yokoya S, Iwadate M, Suzuki S, Matsuzuka T, Setou N, Ohira T, Yasumura S, Suzuki S, Ohto H, Kamiya K. A Comprehensive Review of the Progress and Evaluation of the Thyroid Ultrasound Examination Program, the Fukushima Health Management Survey. J Epidemiol 2022; 32:S23-S35. [PMID: 36464297 PMCID: PMC9703930 DOI: 10.2188/jea.je20210271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, and the subsequent tsunami caused an accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, in which extensive damage to the nuclear power reactors resulted in massive radioactive contamination. Fukushima Prefecture implemented the Thyroid Ultrasound Examination (TUE) program as part of the Fukushima Health Management Survey project in response to residents' anxieties about health risks due to radiation exposure for residents aged 0-18 years at the time of the nuclear accident. This program consisted of the primary examination and the confirmatory examination. In the primary examination, thyroid nodules and cysts were examined using portable ultrasound apparatuses. The confirmatory examination was performed to have clinical or cytological diagnosis. As of June 30, 2021, 116, 71, 31, 36, and 9 examinees in the first, second, third, and fourth round of surveys, and the survey at age 25 years, respectively, were determined to have nodules cytologically diagnosed as malignant or suspicious for malignancy. The confirmatory examination of the fourth-round survey and the primary and confirmatory examination of fifth-round survey are currently in progress. Together with the low thyroid absorbed radiation dose estimated in the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation 2020 report, our results suggested that the increased incidence of childhood thyroid cancer in Fukushima Prefecture was not caused by radiation exposure, but rather by the highly sensitive detection method. As detailed in this review, there were ongoing challenges in our program, such as actions against the risk of overdiagnosis and psychological support for participants and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Shimura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Satoru Suzuki
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Susumu Yokoya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Thyroid and Endocrine Center, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Manabu Iwadate
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Satoshi Suzuki
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsuzuka
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Noriko Setou
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Disaster Psychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ohira
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Seiji Yasumura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Shinichi Suzuki
- Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ohto
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kenji Kamiya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Yasumura S, Ohira T, Ishikawa T, Shimura H, Sakai A, Maeda M, Miura I, Fujimori K, Ohto H, Kamiya K. Achievements and Current Status of the Fukushima Health Management Survey. J Epidemiol 2022; 32:S3-S10. [PMID: 36464298 PMCID: PMC9703928 DOI: 10.2188/jea.je20210390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS) was established in response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on March 11, 2011. The primary objectives of the study are to monitor residents' long-term health and promote their future well-being, and to determine the health effects of long-term low-dose radiation exposure. This special issue summarizes the results and current status of the FHMS and discusses the challenges and future directions of the FHMS. The FHMS, a cohort study of all people who were residents in Fukushima Prefecture at the time of the accident, consists of a Basic Survey, Thyroid Ultrasound Examination, Comprehensive Health Check, Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey, and Pregnancy and Birth Survey. The radiation exposure was estimated based on the behavioral records examined using the Basic Survey. Although the response rate was low in the Basic Survey, the representativeness of the radiation exposure data was confirmed using additional surveys. There appears to be no relationship between the radiation exposure and risk of thyroid cancer, although more thyroid cancer cases were detected than initially expected. The ongoing Comprehensive Health Check and Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey have provided evidence of worsening physical and mental health status. The Pregnancy and Birth Survey showed rates of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and congenital abnormalities similar to the national average. Considering the above evidence, the Fukushima Prefectural Government decided to end the Pregnancy and Birth Survey at the end of March 2021, as recommended by the Prefectural Oversight Committee. The framework of the FHMS has not changed, but the FHMS needs to adapt according to the survey results and the changing needs of the eligible residents and municipalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiji Yasumura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ohira
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Ishikawa
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Radiation Physics and Chemistry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hiroki Shimura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Akira Sakai
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Radiation Life Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Masaharu Maeda
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Disaster Psychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Itaru Miura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Keiya Fujimori
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ohto
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kenji Kamiya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Nakaya T, Takahashi K, Takahashi H, Yasumura S, Ohira T, Shimura H, Suzuki S, Suzuki S, Iwadate M, Yokoya S, Ohto H, Kamiya K. Revisiting the Geographical Distribution of Thyroid Cancer Incidence in Fukushima Prefecture: Analysis of Data From the Second- and Third-round Thyroid Ultrasound Examination. J Epidemiol 2022; 32:S76-S83. [PMID: 36464303 PMCID: PMC9703926 DOI: 10.2188/jea.je20210165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND After the first-round (Preliminary Baseline Survey) ultrasound-based examination for thyroid cancer in response to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011, two rounds of surveys (Full-scale Survey) have been carried out in Fukushima Prefecture. Using the data from these surveys, the geographical distribution of thyroid cancer incidence over 6 or 7 years after the disaster was examined. METHODS Children and adolescents who underwent the ultrasound-based examinations in the second- and/or third-round (Full-scale) survey in addition to the first-round survey were included. With a discrete survival model, we computed age, sex, and body mass index standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for municipalities. Then, we employed spatial statistics to assess geographic clustering tendency in SIRs and Poisson regression to assess the association of SIRs with the municipal average absorbed dose to the thyroid gland at the 59-municipality level. RESULTS Throughout the second- and third-round surveys, 99 thyroid cancer cases were diagnosed in the study population of 252,502 individuals. Both flexibly shaped spatial scan statistics and maximized excess events test did not detect statistically significant spatial clustering (P = 0.17 and 0.54, respectively). Poisson regression showed no significant dose-response relationship: the estimated relative risks of lowest, middle-low, middle-high, and highest areas were 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-2.59), 0.55 (95% CI, 0.31-0.97), 1.05 (95% CI, 0.79-1.40), and 1.24 (95% CI, 0.89-1.74). CONCLUSION There was no statistical support for geographic clustering or regional association with radiation dose measures of the thyroid cancer incidence in the cohort followed up to the third-round survey (fiscal years 2016-2017) in Fukushima Prefecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Nakaya
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan,Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Takahashi
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Biostatistics, M&D Data Science Center, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideto Takahashi
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,National Institute of Public Health, Saitama, Japan
| | - Seiji Yasumura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ohira
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hiroki Shimura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Satoru Suzuki
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Satoshi Suzuki
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Manabu Iwadate
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Susumu Yokoya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Thyroid and Endocrine Center, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ohto
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kenji Kamiya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan,Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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8
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Burtt JJ, Akiba S, Bazyka D, Coleman CN, Hatch M, Bernstein JL. Radiation disasters - long term consequences: reflections and summary of a recent symposium. Int J Radiat Biol 2022; 99:561-568. [PMID: 36154906 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2022.2110315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julie J Burtt
- Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Suminori Akiba
- Hirosaki University Center for Radiation Support and Safety, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Dimitry Bazyka
- National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - C Norman Coleman
- Radiation Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Maureen Hatch
- Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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9
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Okuyama J, Izumi SI, Funakoshi S, Seto S, Sasaki H, Ito K, Imamura F, Willgerodt M, Fukuda Y. Supporting adolescents' mental health during COVID-19 by utilising lessons from the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 9:332. [PMID: 36187842 PMCID: PMC9510442 DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01330-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Historical data can determine how adolescents recover from difficult situations such as the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study analysed 3 years of data obtained from high-school students who had been affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and consequently evidenced the importance of increasing resilience among affected adolescents. This involved identifying factors contributing to resilience through a model that assessed for each tsunami disaster. This model was determined by assessing the correlation between survivors' resilience scores and their measured psychological and lifestyle scores. This approach showed that, in all tsunami damage models, resilience was most affected by the depressed emotions. Thus, our approach suggests that interventions for improving the depressed mood may improve resilience in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Okuyama
- Designated National University, Core Research Cluster of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Izumi
- Department of Rehabilitation, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | - Shuji Seto
- International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Sasaki
- International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Ito
- International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Imamura
- Designated National University, Core Research Cluster of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mayumi Willgerodt
- Department of Child, Family, and Population Health Nursing at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Yu Fukuda
- Notre Dame Seishin University, Okayama, Japan
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10
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Tsuda T, Miyano Y, Yamamoto E. Demonstrating the undermining of science and health policy after the Fukushima nuclear accident by applying the Toolkit for detecting misused epidemiological methods. Environ Health 2022; 21:77. [PMID: 36002833 PMCID: PMC9400325 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00884-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that science can be misused to hinder the resolution (i.e., the elimination and/or control) of a health problem. To recognize distorted and misapplied epidemiological science, a 33-item "Toolkit for detecting misused epidemiological methods" (hereinafter, the Toolkit) was published in 2021. Applying the Toolkit, we critically evaluated a review paper entitled, "Lessons learned from Chernobyl and Fukushima on thyroid cancer screening and recommendations in the case of a future nuclear accident" in Environment International in 2021, published by the SHAMISEN (Nuclear Emergency Situations - Improvement of Medical and Health Surveillance) international expert consortium. The article highlighted the claim that overdiagnosis of childhood thyroid cancers greatly increased the number of cases detected in ultrasound thyroid screening following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. However, the reasons cited in the SHAMISEN review paper for overdiagnosis in mass screening lacked important information about the high incidence of thyroid cancers after the accident. The SHAMISEN review paper ignored published studies of screening results in unexposed areas, and included an invalid comparison of screenings among children with screenings among adults. The review omitted the actual state of screening in Fukushima after the nuclear accident, in which only nodules > 5 mm in diameter were examined. The growth rate of thyroid cancers was not slow, as emphasized in the SHAMISEN review paper; evidence shows that cancers detected in second-round screening grew to more than 5 mm in diameter over a 2-year period. The SHAMISEN consortium used an unfounded overdiagnosis hypothesis and misguided evidence to refute that the excess incidence of thyroid cancer was attributable to the nuclear accident, despite the findings of ongoing ultrasound screening for thyroid cancer in Fukushima and around Chernobyl. By our evaluation, the SHAMISEN review paper includes 20 of the 33 items in the Toolkit that demonstrate the misuse of epidemiology. The International Agency for Research on Cancer meeting in 2017 and its publication cited in the SHAMISEN review paper includes 12 of the 33 items in the Toolkit. Finally, we recommend a few enhancements to the Toolkit to increase its utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihide Tsuda
- Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan.
| | - Yumiko Miyano
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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11
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Yamamoto K, Takita M, Kami M, Takemoto Y, Ohira T, Maeda M, Yasumura S, Sakai A, Hosoya M, Okazaki K, Yabe H, Kitamura T, Tsubokura M, Shimabukuro M, Ohto H, Kamiya K. Changes in the proportion of anemia among young women after the Great East Japan Earthquake: the Fukushima health management survey. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10805. [PMID: 35752644 PMCID: PMC9233683 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14992-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the sequential changes in the proportion of anemia among young women over eight years after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 using a prospective study of the Fukushima Health Management Survey. This study focused on the women aged between 20 and 44 who lived in the evacuation area of the nuclear power plant accident. The yearly age-adjusted proportion of anemia was accessed with data between July 2011 and March 2019. A total of 9,198 women participated in the health checkup in 2011, albeit the participation was decreased to 1,241 in 2018. The age-adjusted proportion of anemia was 16.7% in 2012 and then declined after 2013 (p with Cochran-Armitage trend test = 0.03). The multivariate regression analysis identified < 23 kg/m2 of body mass index (BMI), no history of smoking, and no habitual alcohol use as independent baseline characteristics predictive of temporality anemic condition after the disaster (Adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence interval]; 1.98 [1.43-2.74], 1.85 [1.21-2.83], and 1.42 [1.07-1.90], respectively). Thus, women with low BMI and healthier habits might risk temporarily anemic status after the disaster. Our findings signal the importance of preventing anemia in young women after the disaster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kana Yamamoto
- Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo, 108-0071, Japan.
| | - Morihito Takita
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Department of Internal Medicine, Navitas Clinic Tachikawa, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-0023, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kami
- Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Governance Research Institute, Minato, Tokyo, 108-0074, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Takemoto
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yoshinobu Clinic, Kagoshima, 890-0063, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ohira
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Masaharu Maeda
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Department of Disaster Psychology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Seiji Yasumura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Akira Sakai
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Department of Radiation Life Sciences, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Mitsuaki Hosoya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kanako Okazaki
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Hirooki Yabe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Toshio Kitamura
- Division of Cellular Therapy, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo, 108-0071, Japan
| | - Masaharu Tsubokura
- Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Michio Shimabukuro
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ohto
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kenji Kamiya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.,Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8553, Japan
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12
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Zhao Y, Sun P, Xiao J, Jin L, Ma N, Li Z, Feng G, Huang H, Deziel NC, Ma X, Ni X, Zhang Y. International patterns and trends of childhood and adolescent cancer, 1978-2012. JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER 2022; 2:78-89. [PMID: 39034956 PMCID: PMC11256536 DOI: 10.1016/j.jncc.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study aimed to provide a detailed analysis of the temporal trends of cancer incidence rates for individuals aged 0-19 years in selected regions globally from 1978 to 2012. Methods Data were obtained from Volumes V-XI of Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5), published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. A total of 53 registries in 23 regions from the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania that contained information on cancer incidence throughout 1978-2012 (35 years) were included in this study. Joinpoint regression was used for the analysis of trends. Results Most regions showed increasing trends in overall childhood cancer among children (aged 0-14 years) and adolescents (aged 15-19 years). Nearly all regions showed rising trends in childhood and adolescent leukemia incidence rates, whereas the incidence of lymphoma among children generally decreased. Only France, Australia, and New Zealand showed decreasing trends for malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors among adolescents. Kidney cancer and bone cancer incidence rates remained stable for most regions. The incidence of thyroid cancer among adolescents increased in most regions and that of testicular cancer decreased in approximately one-half of the regions studied. Conclusion The international temporal trends of cancer incidents among children and adolescents are varied by region, cancer type, age group, and gender, and have changed over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawen Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Peiyuan Sun
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyuan Xiao
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lan Jin
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ning Ma
- Department of Echocardiography, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Li
- National Center for Pediatric Cancer Surveillance, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Guoshuang Feng
- Center for Bigdata Research, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Huang Huang
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Nicole C. Deziel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xiaomei Ma
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xin Ni
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
- National Center for Pediatric Cancer Surveillance, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
- Center for Bigdata Research, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Yawei Zhang
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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13
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Ohira T, Shimura H, Yasumura S, Yokoya S, Ohto H, Kamiya K. Response to the Letter to the Editor: 'Absorbed radiation doses in the thyroid as estimated by UNSCEAR and subsequent risk of childhood thyroid cancer following the Great East Japan Earthquake', by Ohira et al. JOURNAL OF RADIATION RESEARCH 2021; 62:425-426. [PMID: 33693686 PMCID: PMC8127657 DOI: 10.1093/jrr/rraa146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Ohira
- Corresponding author: Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Hikarigaoka 1, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan. Tel +81-24-547-1344; Fax +81-24-547-1336; E-mail:
| | - Hiroki Shimura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Seiji Yasumura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Susumu Yokoya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Thyroid and Endocrine Center, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ohto
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kenji Kamiya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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14
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Cléro E, Ostroumova E, Demoury C, Grosche B, Kesminiene A, Liutsko L, Motreff Y, Oughton D, Pirard P, Rogel A, Van Nieuwenhuyse A, Laurier D, Cardis E. Lessons learned from Chernobyl and Fukushima on thyroid cancer screening and recommendations in case of a future nuclear accident. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 146:106230. [PMID: 33171378 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Exposure of the thyroid gland to ionizing radiation at a young age is the main recognized risk factor for differentiated thyroid cancer. After the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents, thyroid cancer screening was implemented mainly for children, leading to case over-diagnosis as seen in South Korea after the implementation of opportunistic screening (where subjects are recruited at healthcare sites). The aim of cancer screening is to reduce morbidity and mortality, but screening can also cause negative effects on health (with unnecessary treatment if over-diagnosis) and on quality of life. This paper from the SHAMISEN special issue (Nuclear Emergency Situations - Improvement of Medical And Health Surveillance) presents the principles of cancer screening, the lessons learned from thyroid cancer screening, as well as the knowledge on thyroid cancer incidence after exposure to iodine-131. The SHAMISEN Consortium recommends to envisage systematic health screening after a nuclear accident, only when appropriately justified, i.e. ensuring that screening will do more good than harm. Based on the experience of the Fukushima screening, the consortium does not recommend mass or population-based thyroid cancer screening, as the negative psychological and physical effects are likely to outweigh any possible benefit in affected populations; thyroid health monitoring should however be made available to persons who request it (regardless of whether they are at increased risk or not), accompanied with appropriate information and support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enora Cléro
- Health and Environment Division, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
| | - Evgenia Ostroumova
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Claire Demoury
- Risk and Health Impact Assessment Unit, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernd Grosche
- Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), Munich, Germany
| | - Ausrele Kesminiene
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Liudmila Liutsko
- Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Deborah Oughton
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Center for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), Aas, Norway
| | | | - Agnès Rogel
- Santé publique France, Saint-Maurice, France
| | - An Van Nieuwenhuyse
- Risk and Health Impact Assessment Unit, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium; Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dominique Laurier
- Health and Environment Division, Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Elisabeth Cardis
- Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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15
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Ohira T, Shimura H, Hayashi F, Nagao M, Yasumura S, Takahashi H, Suzuki S, Matsuzuka T, Suzuki S, Iwadate M, Ishikawa T, Sakai A, Suzuki S, Nollet KE, Yokoya S, Ohto H, Kamiya K. Absorbed radiation doses in the thyroid as estimated by UNSCEAR and subsequent risk of childhood thyroid cancer following the Great East Japan Earthquake. JOURNAL OF RADIATION RESEARCH 2020; 61:243-248. [PMID: 32030428 PMCID: PMC7246065 DOI: 10.1093/jrr/rrz104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The identification of thyroid cancers among children after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident propelled concerns regarding long-term radiation effects on thyroid cancer in children affected by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima, Japan. Herein we consider the potential association between absorbed dose in the thyroid and the risk of developing thyroid cancer as detected by ultrasonography on 300 473 children and adolescents aged 0-18 years in Fukushima. The absorbed dose mentioned in the present study indicates the sum of that from external exposure and that from internally deposited radionuclides. We grouped participants according to estimated absorbed doses in each of 59 municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture, based on The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) 2013 report. The 59 municipalities were assigned to quartiles by dose. We limited our analyses to participants aged ≥6 years because only one case of thyroid cancer was observed in participants aged ≤5 years; 164 299 participants were included in the final analysis. Compared with the lowest dose quartile, the age- and sex-adjusted rate ratios (95% confidence intervals) for the low-middle, high-middle and highest quartiles were 2.00 (0.84-4.80), 1.34 (0.50-3.59) and 1.42 (0.55-3.67) for the 6-14-year-old groups and 1.99 (0.70-5.70), 0.54 (0.13-2.31) and 0.51 (0.12-2.15) for the >15-year-old group, respectively. No dose-dependent pattern emerged from the geographical distribution of absorbed doses by municipality, as estimated by UNSCEAR, and the detection of thyroid cancer among participants within 4-6 years after the accident. Ongoing surveillance might further clarify the effects of low-dose radiation exposure on thyroid cancer in Fukushima.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Ohira
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
- Corresponding author. Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Hikarigaoka 1, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan. Tel: +81-24-547-1344; Fax: +81-24-547-1336;
| | - Hiroki Shimura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Fumikazu Hayashi
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Masanori Nagao
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Seiji Yasumura
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hideto Takahashi
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- National Institute of Public Health, Saitama, Japan
| | - Satoru Suzuki
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Takashi Matsuzuka
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Satoshi Suzuki
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Manabu Iwadate
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Ishikawa
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Radiation Physics and Chemistry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Akira Sakai
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Radiation Life Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Shinichi Suzuki
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kenneth E Nollet
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Department of Blood Transfusion and Transplantation Immunology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Susumu Yokoya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Thyroid and Endocrine Center, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ohto
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kenji Kamiya
- Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
- Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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16
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Relationship between environmental radiation and radioactivity and childhood thyroid cancer found in Fukushima health management survey. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4074. [PMID: 32139763 PMCID: PMC7058088 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60999-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental radioactive contamination caused by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident has aroused great concern regarding a possible increase in the incidence of childhood thyroid cancer. The ultrasound examinations were conducted immediately after the accident as part of the Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS), which is divided into the preliminary baseline survey (PBLS) and the full-scale survey (FSS). Some of their outcomes are reported regularly and made available to the public. We have detailed measurements of the air-dose rates and radioactive elements in soil in many places all over the Fukushima prefecture. To study the dose-response relationship, we begin with the assumption that the external and internal doses are correlated with the air-dose rate and the amount of 131I in soil, respectively. We then investigate the relationship between these estimated doses and the PBLS and FSS thyroid cancer cases. Our analysis shows that the dose-response curve with the FSS data clearly differs from that with the PBLS data. Finally, we consider the potential mitigating effects of evacuation from highly contaminated areas in both external and internal exposure scenarios.
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17
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Huang T, Song D, Yin LX, Zhang SW, Liu LF, Zhou L. Microwave irradiation assisted sodium hexametaphosphate modification on the alkali-activated blast furnace slag for enhancing immobilization of strontium. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 241:125069. [PMID: 31614313 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
An inadvertent leakage of 90Sr into the environment can induce an easy accumulation in biosphere and cause a continuous radiation to the surrounding ecosystem. In this study, sodium hexametaphosphate (Na6O18P6) was employed to modify the blast furnace slags (BFS) to enhance the chemical stabilization of Sr2+ ions in the BFS-based cementitious materials. Microwave irradiation (MW) was used to further increase the binder activity of BFS samples and strengthened the mechanical strengths and durability of BFS-based blocks. A combination of experimental factors including the mass ratio of Na6O18P6 to BFS-Sr0.1 of 15%, the ratio of solid to liquid of 1:4 mg/L, the output power of 650 W, and the activation time of 3 min was most conductive to achieving an optimal microwave-irradiation process. Four extraction solutions were sorted by their leaching abilities following as MgSO4 solution > H2SO4 solution > CH3OOH solution > deionized (DI) water based on their leaching results. Compared with microwave irradiation, an addition of Na6O18P6 to BFS samples obtained a better compressive strength for BFS-based blocks. However, a microwave-irradiation treatment was more effective in improving the resistances of blocks to gamma irradiation and thermal-thaw changes. Exposing to gamma irradiation over 6 months and enduring to thermal-thaw tests over 15 cycles, the microwave-treated blocks only lost 3.29% and 2.23% of leaching removal efficiencies in deionized water, respectively. Microwave irradiation increased the mechanical strengths of BFS-based blocks and inhibited leaching of Sr2+ ions from matrices mainly by strengthening hydration reactions and Sr2+ encapsulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Huang
- School of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, No. 99, South 3rd Ring Road, Changshu, 215500, China; Suzhou Key Laboratory of Functional Ceramic Materials, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu, 215500, China; School of Chemical Engineering & Technology China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221116, China.
| | - Dongping Song
- School of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, No. 99, South 3rd Ring Road, Changshu, 215500, China.
| | - Li-Xin Yin
- School of Economics and Management, Changshu Institute of Technology, No. 99, South 3rd Ring Road, Changshu, 215500, China.
| | - Shu-Wen Zhang
- Nuclear Resources Engineering College, University of South China, 421001, China
| | - Long-Fei Liu
- School of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, No. 99, South 3rd Ring Road, Changshu, 215500, China; Suzhou Key Laboratory of Functional Ceramic Materials, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu, 215500, China
| | - Lulu Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, No. 99, South 3rd Ring Road, Changshu, 215500, China
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