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| Doctor examining the thyroid of a child (Photo: TTO) |
The incidence of thyroid cancer is expected to double in the Bryansk region of western Russia by 2010, due to the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion 20 years ago.
According to statistics from the Russian health agency, there are currently around 1.5 million Russians living in 14 areas contaminated by radiation following the Chernobyl disaster. The Russian government predicts that by 2010, over 500 cases of thyroid cancer will be recorded in Bryansk, the region most severely affected by the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant on April 26, 1986.
The Russian health agency has confirmed that within this area alone, 122 cases of thyroid cancer have been detected. Currently, in addition to the residents of contaminated regions at risk of disease, there are over 186,000 Russians from various sectors (firefighters, soldiers, and civilians) who participated in the cleanup after the disaster, carrying potential risks of related health issues.
In September 2005, the United Nations released a report estimating approximately 4,000 deaths in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, the three countries most severely affected. Meanwhile, Greenpeace estimates that there could be as many as 93,000 cancer-related deaths due to radiation exposure from the Chernobyl explosion.
DUC TRUONG
