Lawsuit Blames Fukushima Radiation for Thyroid Cancer

Six cancer patients have filed a lawsuit against the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), claiming the Fukushima radiation that was leaked during the 2011 nuclear disaster caused their cancer diagnosis.  The 6 plaintiffs, currently aged from 17-27, were children when the Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred, and now, they are asking for $5.4 million in damages.

Could the Fukushima Radiation Really Have Caused Cancer?

Apparently, there is a possibility that about 300 people were affected by the radiation, but so far only the 6 plaintiffs have come forward.  The plaintiffs were diagnosed with cancer between 2012 and 2018, and 4 of them required a complete removal of their thyroid.  The litigating attorneys claim that this is the first lawsuit filed in Japan by residents over health problems linked to the disaster.

The tricky part of this is that the connection between cancer and the leaked Fukushima radiation has yet to be clearly established.  A panel of experts was commissioned by the government but has so far failed to establish any kind of link – that said, the study is ongoing so this might change in the future.  Another factor that clouds the linkage is that some of the plaintiffs lived many miles from the plant, including one who lived in a town called Aizu which is over 70 miles from Fukushima.

However, although there is no “smoking gun,” other evidence supports the claim.  For example, an independent study suggested that the cancer occurrence rate around Fukushima sits at 77 cases per 100,000 people, which is more than 10 times higher than a typical occurrence rate.  That said, critics believe this ratio may have been inflated due to overdiagnosis.  In addition, the conclusions originate from a blanket survey which limits the degree of precision that is possible.

This is a pretty unique spin on emergency preparedness, so it will be interesting to see if the legal action holds water (pardon the pun).  For what it’s worth, the Tokyo District Court found the top 3 TEPCO executives not guilty in 2019, primarily because it was determined that they could not have predicted the disaster.  The criminal case is currently under appeal, but at the end of the day, we don’t yet know the degree to which the leaked Fukushima radiation can be blamed for the cancer.  Only time will tell.