It is estimated that more than 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer were caused by the disaster. “The Chernobyl accident is a clear example of the health consequences experienced by a large population exposed to radioactive iodine,” says Memorial Sloan Kettering physician-scientist James A. Fagin.

Can radiation cause thyroid problems?

Many patients who have radiation therapy for head and neck cancer receive radiation to the area of the thyroid gland, an important organ located in the midline lower neck. Damage to the thyroid gland from radiation therapy can result in hypothyroidism.

Did Chernobyl cause hypothyroidism?

After the Chernobyl disaster, an increase in thyroid nodules elevated anti-TPO and anti-Tg antibodies. More underactive thyroid cases were reported in people living in the most affected areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia (9).