Fukushima prefecture has since been conducting screening tests on thyroid glands for roughly 380,000 people who were aged 18 or under at the time of the disaster.
As of June 2021, 266 cases or suspected cases of childhood thyroid cancer had been detected, a local official said.
Some scientists have warned that the risks of overdiagnosis through mass screening can outweigh potential benefits, and may in some cases lead to unnecessary treatment.
