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Suwlmr: THYROID DISEASE LN RONGELAP ISLANDERS During the February 1964 annual medical survey of the Marshallese Islanders exposed to fallout from the March 1, 1954, shot over Bikini, three young teenagers, 13-14 years old, were found to have nodules in their thyroid glands. The medical team felt that two of them should have tiediate thyroidectomies,and these operations were successfully carried out at the Naval Hospital on Guam with the full cooperation of the Trust Territory people and the medical services of the Department of Defense. The ‘pathologicaldiagnoses were papillary adenocarcinoma, a tiignant tumor of the thyroid. The prognosis, of course, is uncertain, but the surgeons are reported to have felt that they may have removed all the neoplastic tissue. While this information has not been transmitted formally, it is regarded as reliable. It is planned that a ten year sunmmry of the health status of the exposed Marshallese, including these recent developments,will be prepared for prompt publication in a prominent journal such as the Journal of the American Medical Reparations are now going ahead to have the third child with a small nodule operated on as soon as possible. The estimated doses to these thyroids are some 100 to 175 rads external gamma plus 100 to 150 rads from absorbed radioi.odine.
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Since the spontaneous occurrence of @o, and possibly three, cases of thyroid neoplasm among the small number of exposed Marshallese children is most unlikely, these obsemations will probably give rise to comment in various quarters. For this reason, it seems desirable to consider this matter as tentative until the documented &ta are in hand. You and the Commission will be informed promptly at that time. DivisiorIof Biology and Hedicine