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Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Congmas of the United states you with the moat recent information on the occurrence abnormalities among the 69 surviving MarshaUe se to fallout IRaMarch 1, 1954. Dr. Robert Conard of This is to provide the etaff of the Medical Department of the Bmokhaven National Laboratory has just returned from the Marshall Island@ where he and his team during February- March 1966 conducted the latest of the continuing series of medical wcamkations af these peopie. Our last 3e@er on this subject, dated October 26, 1965, advised that a cumulative total of 11 Marahallese had been found to have nodular thyroids at the conclusion of the medical survey conducted during August 1965, A nodular thyroid w-as first detected cluing the survey of February The just-concluded survey has disclosed five additional people with noduleo. This btiinge to 16 the number of diagnosed cases of nodular thyroids among the 69 aurvivcws of the original 82 at risk. The age distribution of incidence is shown below. Age at Number Total Incidence of Noduka Exposure Exposed through March, 1966 F’iftY..five of the 69 were cm Rcmgelap Island and received estimated whole body doses of 175 R plus pm~i.ble doses of 700 to 1400 rem to their thyroids from the Zadioiodine . ‘X’he remaining 14 wege visiting on Ailingnae, a nearby but p:wbakly smaller thymi.d doses. None uf the six children {1-10 years d age] who were with ths group on Ailiagnae has shown nodule a, but one of the ‘&xee adult a in the table was on Ailingnae. @
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The only instance of cancer of the thyroid was seen in a Rongelap ~man who waa approximately 30 yeara of age at the time of exposure. The nodular condition #een in ~he young people is not a cancerous psoceas, aithwsgh cancers of the thyrdd often grow in nodular fashion. In August 1965 nearly all them people were placed on tetraiodothyronine, a synthetic thyroid hormone, an the basis that such therapy would modify the incidence and/or cousse of the nodular process. It appearra to have been partially effective but it iu still too soon to be definite. Forty children of tie same age grauping who were on Utirik Island and received 14 R whole body plus proportionately smah r thyroid exposures were also examined. They showed no signs of thyroid nodules or thyroid In addition, 194 unexposed $AarmhaUeae now living on these islands we m examined; three instances of nodules were found, all among people more than 47 years of age. Five of the MarshaUe$ie with nodulas thymdds will be brought to the Brookhaven National Laboratory during May 1966 for ihther diagnostic study and possible surgery. One is a 46-year-oki woman; the others are girls 13, 13, 13 and 20 years add now. They will be accompanied by the Ronge&p school teacher who will act as interpreter. The treatment and travel of these six Marshallese~ have been developed with cooperation of the Honorable Wiifxad Goding, High Commiw&mer, Trust Territory of the You will be kept informed of the progress of thee= studies. An advanced copy of the public announcement m this subject prepared by the Brookhaven National Laboratory ia enclosed. Assistant General Manager for Research and Development “Five Marshall Islanders to be Examined by Braokhaven National Laboratory
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