The Japanese television presenter Norikazu Otsuka enlisted after the disaster in Fukushima ostensibly for local foods and products from eating there. Now he is suffering from leukemia.
Japanese media report that the moderator Norikazu Otsuka in acute lymphoblastic leukemia is ill. This in itself is like any cancer, a human tragedy, but in the case of Otsuka, the disease is also a political issue: Japanese media suspect now that the food from the Fukushima region, which he had after the disaster consumed demonstrative publicly contributed to the disease might have. With his behavior, he slapped himself on the side of the government, which clung tenaciously to her testimony, a majority of the products is harmless for health and called for supporting the local agriculture.
Now, the 63-year-old diagnosed with leukemia and needs to undergo chemotherapy. In his mission he volunteered again and reported by telephone to speak with a strong voice on the state of things: the end of October, he had noticed a swelling on the left and right in the neck. Then he had to make a blood test. A few days later was the result beyond doubt before. Right now he has to contend with bleeding under the skin and fever, but I hope to return in the spring of next year before the camera.
Cause of the leukemia is pure speculation
Whether his illness stems from the consumption of irradiated food may, however, can not prove, even if critical of the government and media group speculate. While even small amounts can cause damage radioactivity in the genome and cause cells to degenerate – they are of types that share common, which is particularly treacherous. To the rapidly dividing cells, including the bone marrow. Here are the blood-forming cells affected may be the result of leukemia.
But if the crowd could have been enough of radioactivity to cause an acute leukemia, according to the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) is unclear and can not prove. The literature Alwin Krämer, head of the Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Hematology and Oncology, German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University Hospital, no such case is known. However, confirmed the DKFZ against FOCUS Online, that can certainly cause massive radiation exposure that erupts within eight months of leukemia – cancer doctors know such cases among patients who developed as a result of chemotherapy and radiation blood cancer.
In the case of Otsuka Such statements are pure speculation – especially since it is unclear what quantities of these foods, the journalist who does not live in the troubled region, has over what period of time consumed in fact – and whether, and were as much the products contaminated actually radioactive. The Japanese government and government-related institutions represented in the meantime anyway still the attitude that exposure outside the exclusion zone is minimal. They can now also rely on results of a study of the Hirosaki University. Whose radiation experts examined between 15 March and 20 June 5000 people from the area of ??Fukushima. Only in ten of them they found increased radiation levels. However, they were determined with Geiger counters. The most dangerous plutonium, for example, can be detected but not so.
Fed irradiated rice
The confidence of many Japanese in the Government and government-related institutions have crumbled. Even if the disease does the TV presenter Otsuka not simply be attributed to contaminated food, many Japanese feel confirmed in their concern for their health. Increased cesium levels were measured to date in rice. Although government spokesman assured that the rice does not come into the trade. But before he arrived in a roundabout way into the food chain. Apparently radioactively contaminated rice was fed to cattle 3000, the meat after slaughter in the kitchens of hospitals and schools came.
Otsuka may in the meantime hope to be healthy again. Up to one in two adults applies after intensive chemotherapy as cured – for children, 80 percent the chances are even higher.
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