Cancer cases in the nuclear reactor region of Hamm-Uentrop

More cases of thyroid cancer in the Hamm-Uentrop region

28/11/2013

More cases of thyroid cancer in women occur in the vicinity of the nuclear reactor shut down 25 years ago in Hamm-Uentrop in North Rhine-Westphalia. This is the result of a calculation of the Cancer Registry NRW. Accordingly, there is a 64% higher risk for the inhabitants of this circle compared to a reference region.

Reactor switched off since 1988
Already in 1988 - after a total of five years of operation - the nuclear reactor in Hamm-Uentrop was shut down and the fuel elements of the Thorium high-temperature reactor (THTR) were transported away years ago in Castor containers to Ahaus. However, evaluations of the cancer registry NRW have revealed an abnormality in thyroid cancer diseases:

„Here, a statistically significant increase in the rate of thyroid cancer in women between 2008 and 2010 was found. According to the results, the standardized incidence rate for thyroid cancer among women in the study area in 2008 and 2010 is 1.64. According to the Cancer Registry report, this may be interpreted as a 64% increased risk of developing thyroid cancer“, so the information of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia. This only applies „compared to the selected reference region“.

Environment Minister Remmel sees no connection
According to Environment Minister Johannes Remmel (Greens), however, no direct connection with the reactor can be made here, because the number of cases of radiation cancer and thyroid cancer in men is not higher than in other regions, the politician told the dpa. For the survey, the employees of the Cancer Registry NRW analyzed the cancer rates in Hamm, Beckum, Ahlen, Lippetal and Welver.

More cases through increased use of cancer screening?
Instead, it is conceivable that the increased compared rate of thyroid cancer cases is due to an increased use of cancer screening, as the head of the cancer registry NRW, Oliver Heidinger, explained to the dpa. As many residents of the region are concerned about possible consequential damage, provision could potentially play a bigger role than in other parts of the country. For this theory, according to Heidinger, the aspect speaks that the thyroid cancer cases were detected above average at an early stage. The increased concern of the residents of the Hamm-Uentrop region is not groundless - it had come in 1986 in the nuclear power plant to a major incident in which radioactivity had reached the area.

Germany and Europe have more cases of thyroid cancer
How long and at what time the affected women had lived in the vicinity of the reactor, but on the basis of data protection no statement can be made, so Heidinger further towards the dpa. However, not only in the region of Hamm-Uentrop increased thyroid cancer cases would occur, but also in regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, in which there are no reactors and in total also in Germany and Europe. (No)

Picture: Angela Parszyk