Business Insider l Michael Kelley   July 19, 2012

A few days ago we reported that 36 percent of Fukushima children have abnormal thyroid growths likely from radiation exposure, based on the "Fukushima Prefecture Health Management Survey."

We got in touch with Australian pediatrician Dr. Helen Caldicott, who has spoken about the growths, to ask her about the implications of the study.

After confirming the validity of the report, Caldicott reinforced the alarming nature of the findings:

1. "It is extremely rare to find cysts and thyroid nodules in children."

2. "This is an extremely large number of abnormalities to find in children."

3. "You would not expect abnormalities to appear so early — within the first year or so — therefore one can assume that they must have received a high dose of [radiation]."

4. "It is impossible to know, from what [officials in Japan] are saying, what these lesions are."

Doctors worry about these abnormal growths because some of them could become cancerous.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/fukushima-children-have-abnormal-thyroid-growths-2012-7#ixzz216vcR4QN