Masao Yoshida Dead: Former Chief Of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Dies At 58

[silvershadow]

Source: Huffington Post

TOKYO -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. says the former chief of Japan's crippled nuclear power plant, Masao Yoshida, has died of cancer of the esophagus. He was 58.

TEPCO officials said Yoshida's illness was not related to radioactive exposure.

Yoshida led efforts to stabilize the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant after it was hit by the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami.

TEPCO spokesman Yoshimi Hitosugi said Yoshida died Tuesday morning at a Tokyo hospital.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/09/masao-yoshida-dead_n_3565387.html

---

a little more at link. "TEPCO officials said Yoshida's illness was not related to radioactive exposure.". How would they know this, again?

[eShirl]

1. "How would they know this, again? "

If his cancer diagnosis predates the disaster, perhaps....

[AtheistCrusader]

8. Or a type of cancer related to smoking or drinking.

[NutmegYankee]

25. It's a common cancer and often related to Gastroesophageal reflux disease.

[FarPoint]

2. I don't believe for one second

that his cancer was not related to the radiation. Pre-existing maybe....excellerated by the radiation, highly probable at the very least.

They lie to avoid liability.

[Divernan]

3. A friend/x-ray technician has come down with 4 different types of cancer

She was an x-ray technician in a hospital for about 30 years. Since reaching the age of 50, she has come down with one kind of cancer after another! And she has no family history for any of those cancers. The research has been in for decades that cumulative exposure to x-rays and gamma rays causes cancer. Cumulative is the key word, and yet I know no one whose medical caregivers keep track of how many x-rays they have had.

[BlueToTheBone]

4. How? Because we KNOW nuclear power is safe!

[madokie]

5. Yup

This will be another death that will NOT be contributed to being caused by nuclear energy. The nuclear industry never accepts the fault for the deaths they cause, never have and never will.

[BlueToTheBone]

6. And its defenders will deny, deny

deny until they die.

Actually when I saw a reply, I thought that I would find my usual gaggle of nay sayers telling me that I'm stupid for my concerns.

[madokie]

7. I seen early on that the nuke industry

were a lot of things, honest was not one of them. They obfuscate and when that doesn't work they outright lie.
I don't have a nuke plant 11 miles up wind of me right now because we stopped PSO from building one years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Fox_Nuclear_Power_Plant

[BlueToTheBone]

10. Congratulations on the work you and

your fellow citizens did in stopping that.

Right now we are in the fight of our lives against the electric company that want to cut a 150' wide swath through the Ozark Mountains. We are home of hundreds of flora and fauna species that live nowhere else. Wish us luck!

[madokie]

13. I wish I was a little younger

as I'm not that far away to come give you all a hand in that endeavor. As it is I'm too old to fight those battles any longer.

[BlueToTheBone]

15. I hear you! I wish I had the energy of when

I was younger. I look around and I see many young people who are working to be defenders of our planet, but there are too few of them.

[madokie]

17. Those younger people who are I give kudos to

its the younger ones who seem to be oblivious to this who are the ones who worry me
Our planet is worth saving.

[silvershadow]

11. And if anyone gets in their way, they get "Silkwooded". nt

[madokie]

14. Yes thats a fact

[AtheistCrusader]

18. But we don't know that is what happened.

There are many causes for that sort of cancer. It's certainly within a range of possibilities, but it may be unrelated.

If you pointed out that certain parties would have a vested interest in pointing the finger at some other cause if indeed it was related to this reactor complex, or nuclear power in general, I would agree, but it is impossible to be certain unless his autopsy/medical history become public.

My dad died of the same thing, and in the navy, he only served on regular oil-fired ships. In the end, it was apparently the smoking that got him.

[TBF]

9. I'm not much into woo woo - but this I would refer to as karma. nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Notice how everyone here wants to Exploit His Death to push their cause. Nobody thanks the man.

If we assume the premise so many here are just automatically assuming, the premise that his radiation exposure (however much or little) killed him, ...

... Let's take a moment to THANK the man who lead the efforts to stabilize the plant.

If not for his efforts, the contamination cloud reaching the USA could have been very unhealthy to say the least, as well as the contamination entering the Pacific Ocean; thousands of times more unhealthy than however unhealthy you may think it is now. That is to not forget the effects on Japan.

Thank you Masao Yoshida.

Thank you to the two people who died inspecting the plant immediately after the quake and before the tsunami. They died by drowning.

Thank you to the people who went inside for brief periods to work for as long as they could to do vital work stabilizing the plant. I remember at the time that they were being called "samurais". They were indeed.

[BlueToTheBone]

16. I'm sorry for his death and especially for the others

who did not really profit from the endeavor of the plant. The head of the plant holds some (?) blame for all the death and destruction that facility that was not built to withstand the forces of nature that surround them.

May they all rest in peace.

[hughee99]

45. If I'm not mistaken, the plant he was in charge of was built in 1971,

I don't think they gave a 16 year old Masao Yoshida much input in the plant design... at least I hope they didn't.

[Auntie Bush]

21. I wonder how all those samurais individuals are doing. Anyone know if they're dead, alive or ill?

[RobertEarl]

23. That is a good question, Auntie

These men are heroes and yet we hear nothing about them.

They should all be identified and made known to us.

It is just plain common sense that this be so. Yet, we do not know their names, or how they are doing. Are they being treated well? Are retirement fund and health care plans being given them? Their families taken care of?

We see so many on here who claim that we should be careful when we suggest that the deadly radiation is really deadly. In that light, it would seem those people would be the first to try and make sure who the heroes of Fukushima are. Otherwise how can they say there is nothing to worry about?

These men are living breathing nuclear health specimens and yet we don't have a clue about them. Why is that so? Who is hiding them from us? And why?

[rexcat]

19. It is not hard to believe...

that many on this board have no understanding of cancer and its causes. I am sure that the "TEPCO" officials know more about this man's medical history than anyone on this board.

One of the major problems with esophageal cancer is it is diagnosed late and the consequences are devastating, just ask Christopher Hitchens. Oh, you can't because he is dead from a late diagnosis of esophageal cancer. I would be willing to say that esophageal cancer is related more to smoking and drinking. Radiation is more commonly correlated with leukemia and thyroid cancer, especially in the short term but who cares what the experts think.

Having worked in the oncology research setting for many years I have seen what late diagnosis of cancer can do to people. It is devastating and the outcomes are usually not pretty.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

20. +1 for facts and reason and not jumping to conclusions. Christopher Hitchens is much missed. nt

[RobertEarl]

24. We have an expert here? rexcat

That is some heavy duty health diagnosis you are making.

Lets start with this one item you have proffered: "TEPCO officials know more about this man's medical history...." No doubt. So why don't they release it to us? The man is dead, and if he didn't die from Fukushima, why don't they tell the world?

Next: can you tell us why the authorities decided that above ground nuclear testing be halted? Here's a hint: Science told them radiation was making people sick. Do you deny that science?

[rexcat]

27. From your post...

you did not dispute anything I said. I am not concerned about the man's medical history since he died from esophageal cancer and not leukemia or thyroid cancer. The possibility of radiation from Fukushima affecting this person's esophageal cancer is extremely remote.

Epidemiology and Biology of Esophageal Cancer, Steven R. DeMeester (abstract) - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684731/:

The etiologies of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and squamous cell cancer are different. While squamous cancer is associated with alcohol and tobacco use, esophageal adenocarcinoma develops as a consequence of gastroesophageal reflux disease.13 There is some association with the use of medications that reduce the lower esophageal sphincter pressure (and worsen reflux), use of acid suppressionmedications, and obesity, but gastroesophageal reflux remains the major culprit.13–18 The etiology of adenocarcinoma of the GEJ, or cardia, has been investigated as well. Evidence shows that GEJ adenocarcinoma develops from gastroesophageal reflux in some patients and secondary to Helicobacter pylori and gastric intestinal metaplasia in others.19–21

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinoma,_esophageal

Esophageal cancer is a relatively rare form of cancer, but some world areas have a markedly higher incidence than others: Belgium, China, Iran, Iceland, India, Japan, the United Kingdom appear to have a higher incidence, as well as the region around the Caspian Sea.[34] The American Cancer Society estimated that during 2007, approximately 15,560 new esophageal cancer cases will be diagnosed in the United States.[35]

And of course above ground nuclear testing resulted in an increase in esophageal cancer, NOT! Please stop emulating our right-wing friends by trying the shotgun approach to see if something is going to stick. I expect a more thoughtful argument from someone on DU.

Next: can you tell us why the authorities decided that above ground nuclear testing be halted? Here's a hint: Science told them radiation was making people sick. Do you deny that science?

[RobertEarl]

28. You certainly are defensive, rexcat

I notice that you evaded answering both of my simple questions. Usually when people do that they are hiding something.

But we'll try again,

Why doesn't Tepco release the man's medical history?

Do you dispute the science about above ground nuclear explosions?

[rexcat]

30. Not defensive at all...

just frustrated with those who make uneducated medical speculations.

It would seem that you are implying that the nuclear disaster in Japan is responsible for the man's esophageal cancer or exacerbation of said cancer and therefore responsible for his death. If you think that then it not about lack of education but scientific and medical illiteracy on your part.

There is enough of the man's medical history out there to come to the conclusion that he died from esophageal cancer which is not related to the short term effects of radiation exposure. I have 18 years of clinical research experience in oncology to back up my assertions. What is your background and qualifications?

No, I don't dispute the science concerning above ground nuclear explosions but that is off topic and irrelevant to the man's cancer unless he was close to one of the above ground blasts. In that case he would have died from leukemia or radiation sickness. Something you don't seem to understand.

[RobertEarl]

32. Hoo boy

You don't have the evidence of this man's medical history, yet you are already jumping to conclusions. You are the one speculating.

So, you have PROOF that radiation does NOT cause esophageal cancer? And did not cause his cancer?

Of course you don't, sop QUIT fucking acting like you do.

Read that during the meltdowns at his plant, he had to remove his respirator in order to direct his men.

[rexcat]

33. One does not breath through one's

esophagus. It seems you lack of understanding about anatomy is about as much as you understand about cancer and its causes. If he removed his respirator than one would think that he would come down with lung cancer but wait, that also takes years after any exposure to develop cancer except with the possibility of plutonium and that would have killed him a lot sooner and it would not have been cancer.

No need to respond because I think you are a lost cause to rational thought and any semblance of intelligence and I am tired of trying to argue with someone who appears to be medically and scientifically illiterate.

[RobertEarl]

34. It is all connected

You might actually understand that fact?

You telling me that there are avenues to the esophagus other than through the mouth?

Why is it you evade the simple questions?


Here is your sig: '''What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof""
What you are doing here is making assertions without proof. Which is plain hypocrisy. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[RobertEarl]

36. See, rex, here's how it can happen

Remove respirator.
Radioactive particle enters mouth.
Particle gets lodged in mouth.
Subjects drinks water.
Particle is carried down to esophagus.

Really, I have to explain this to you?

This caught my eye: "...plutonium and that would have killed him a lot sooner and it would not have been cancer"

My question: If not cancer, then what would be the symptom of plutonium being ingested?

[rexcat]

39. Plutonium poisoning...

aka radiation sickness and death in very short order if the amount of plutonium were sufficient and it does not take much plutonium to kill you quickly. As far a cancer is concerned plutonium in very small amounts can cause solid tumor cancers but the time from exposure to diagnosis can take some time, usually in the range of 5-10 years, unless it is LEUKEMIA.

Even if your scenario were correct there is not enough time from exposure (Fukushima accident) to date of death given he died from esophageal cancer. Sorry but the medical literature is on my side on this one. Alimentary tract cancers are not going to go to stage IV as rapidly as you think they do and the likelihood that it would only affect the esophagus is remote at best. You would have a better chance of seeing stomach cancer or cancer of the intestines. Given that he is Japanese it was probably cigarettes and/or alcohol and the course of the disease was more than likely many years in progress. It would be nice to have his complete medical history but I don't think that is going to happen. Other cultures are not as free with information as we are accustomed to in the US, especially in the EU and Japan. Again, if the gentleman had died from LEUKEMIA that would be another story and much more plausible.

You don't know the basics about cancer, radiation or biology to make a cogent argument. You are totally out of your area of expertise. You are just speculating.

[RobertEarl]

40. You are speculating

Tell us something... have you ever examined a patient that was exposed to a nuclear meltdown? Did you know there are over 1,000 different radioactive isotopes released from a meltdown?

You admit you do not have access to the man's medical history and yet here you are making conclusions about what happened to him. All you can go on is your limited knowledge and the proven liars, Tepco.

Did you know the man also had a brain tumor? Well, did you?

Hey, are you one of those who think no one got cancer from TMI?

[rexcat]

44. I will speculate some more...

the brain tumor, more than likely, was not primary but a metastasis from the esophageal cancer considering he died of late stage esophageal cancer. At least when I speculate it is not full of bullshit like some others who speculate without any knowledge of medicine, cancer, biology or the ability for rational thought.

It is also obvious you did not major in the sciences in college because science dose not seem to be your forte.

[RobertEarl]

46. Haha, you're funny. NOT

I will speculate this:
It is quite obvious that the man died from some form of radiation poisoning.

Don't know if he smoked or drank, as you speculate. Do know he had a brain tumor in 2011 and was forced to retire then.

He was most like severely radiated when Fukushima blew sky high, not just once but three times, and continues to spew today, over two years later.

In the interest of science, any science based person would endeavor to uncover the facts about the man's medical history. But all we are left with is the word of the liars from Tepco.

[rexcat]

48. All your comments prove...

is you absolutely don't know what your talking about. If it had been radiation poisoning he would have died long before this. You are totally out of your range of knowledge on this but that would not take much and reasoned thought looks to be completely out of your realm.

Again, the brain tumor was more than likely not caused by the radiation from the disaster, based on what little we know about his "medical history" but by his esophageal cancer. Anyone with any rudimentary knowledge of cancer could figure that out but you seem to fit intellectually well below the mean of the population and comprehension must be a real struggle for you.

In the interest of science, any science based person would endeavor to uncover the facts about the man's medical history. But all we are left with is the word of the liars from Tepco.

Really, and how is anyone going to get his medical history. My speculating on this man's death is based on the facts we now know as flawed as the facts might be. For me to go in a different direction would mean I would have to put a tinfoil hat on, similar to yours and I am not going to do that. I don't want to come across as a complete moron as others may appear to be in this thread.

[RobertEarl]

49. wow

I take it you are a supporter of nuclear power? What we call a pro-nuke?

[rexcat]

50. Absolutely not...

and complete cognitive dissonance on your part. Where did I ever say that I support nuclear power in this thread or anywhere on DU? By the way the original OP has nothing to do with being pro or anti-nuclear power and is off topic. We just happen to disagree on why this gentleman came about with stage IV esophageal cancer with probable metastasis to the brain. By the way a lot of stage IV cancers develop metastases and many end up in the brain. It also takes a fair amount of time to become symptomatic from brain tumors. Unfortunately I have seen that too many times in my line of work.

Your comment that he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2011 just shows how off base you are with concern to the biology of cancer. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster occurred 11-March-2011. To think that his exposure to radiation from the incident is related to the cancer, esophageal or the tumor in his brain, in such a short time post-exposure is so far fetched that it is beyond the pale on your part.

[Throckmorton]

29. That is the cancer that took my first wife.

She was diagnosed late, 39 year olds just don't get this form of cancer very often, and died 15 months later. She was 40 when she died.

[rexcat]

31. I am sorry to here that...

I have worked in oncology research for 18 years and when someone young dies it is tragic. For that matter anyone who dies because of a late diagnosis really sucks. Again my condolences.

[Throckmorton]

42. Thank you

It was over 9 years ago, and it is the 8000 pound elephant in the room.

[miked62916]

22. Very sad news

RIP Mr. Yoshida

[darkangel218]

26. CLOSE ALL THE DAMN NUCLEAR PLANTS!!!

God fucking dammit!!!

[cstanleytech]

35. No way to prove if it was caused by the accident atleast not currently that I am aware of. nt

[RobertEarl]

37. His body should be closely examined

We may be able to learn something from a good autopsy.

But of course Tepco will do everything they can to keep the science from being exposed.

[cstanleytech]

38. Oh you might find he was exposed to radiation that a given however the problem is

there just isnt any way to tell if the cancer was caused by the exposure at the accident or not.

[RobertEarl]

41. There is a way to tell

If you find a radioactive particle in the body it can be described and traced by its decay rate.

True, that is very advanced science and quite expensive, but it is possible were the particle large enough.

[cstanleytech]

43. How would that prove it was the cause of the cancer exactly?

[rexcat]

51. You can't...

and unfortunately we will probably never see the man's medical history. The though that his exposure on and around 11-March-2011 (date of the Fukushima disaster) was somehow the cause of his cancer just shows that someone does not understand the biology of cancerous solid tumors. If the gentleman had died from leukemia there could be a very strong case that his radiation exposure was related but totally off base for a solid tumor such as esophageal cancer with brain metastasis.

[RobertEarl]

52. Lots of work in your field these days?

I imagine that the number of tumors has risen greatly since Chernobyl. Even saw some reports that downwind of Three Mile Island cancer cases were found in nearly every household.

[rexcat]

53. And it was not an immediate affect...

which I have been trying to explain to you but your biases keep you from understanding simple, well recognized facts. It took more than several years to see the cancer cases increase around Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Nice try but again your willful ignorance on the topic continues to be displayed.

On edit. I have worked with both adult and pediatric cancer patients. Your "question" concerning how busy I am just show how much class you don't have. It can take an emotional toll for those who work in the field and see the destruction to people and their families and your mocking attitude is one more display of your willful ignorance. Seeing children and adults die from their cancers is not something I would wish on anyone and people do die from cancer every day.

[RobertEarl]

54. No doubt

Working in the medical field is tough. I've lost many friends over the years. Been in many a hospital and sat thru too many funerals.

It is sad to know how man made radiation from nuke plants is contributing to health problems. First there has to be a change in the out pouring of truth from the medical people, as you have done here, telling us that you recognize the cancers caused by TMI. You are a minority in that truth telling department. Quote from rexcat: "It took more than several years to see the cancer cases increase around Three Mile Island".

My feeling is that real medical problems are starting to ramp up. Without the truth coming out we will never prepare, never commit to prevention, and just continue to be lied to by the medical establishment. So your coming out here is actually refreshing. I wish you well in telling more people the truth.

But you may want to look at your style, it isn't what one might term as pleasant bedside manners, eh?

[rexcat]

55. I can agree with everything you just said.

My youngest brother had stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma at age 19. He went through 3 years of chemotherapy and then at the end of his treatments when through radiation therapy. He died at the age of 40. The chemo and radiation got his heart. I also worked at a Children's Hospital as a supervisor and when we would lose a kid to cancer the whole hospital staff was affected. Cancer is very personal to me both, on a the personal level and the professional level.

Nuclear power plants are a cluster fuck. The engineers really screwed up with Fukushima and there are a lot more disasters waiting to happen. It appears they put all their proverbial eggs in one basket at Fukushima but retrospect is 20/20. The real problems facing the world with nuclear power plants is the spent rods and the decommissioning of plants. Here in the US they keep extending the "life" of the plants without acknowledging the potential consequences. Nothing like privatizing the profit and socializing the losses. The public gets screwed no matter what!

But you may want to look at your style, it isn't what one might term as pleasant bedside manners, eh?

Two way street and we both dug our heals in the ground!

[Overseas]

47. RIP. May not be the radiation but it sounds like the accident may have done him in.

He may have drunk himself to death with grief.