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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Congress of the United States . This is to provide you with the most recent information on the occurrence of nodular thyroid abnormalities among the 69 surviving Marshallese Islanders exposed to fallout on March 1, 1954. Dr. Robert Conard of the staff of the Medical Department of the Brookhaven National Laboratory has just returned from the Marshall Islands where he and his team during . February-March 1966 conducted the latest of the continuing series ofmedical examinations of these people. Our las: letter on this subject, dated October 26, 1965, advised that a cumulative total of 11 Marshallese had been found to have nodular thyroids ac the conclusion of the medical su~ey conducted during August 1565. A nodular thyroid was first detected during the survey of February The just-concluded survey has disclosed five additional people with nodules. This brings to 16 the number of diagnosed cases of nodular thyraids among the 69 survivors of the original 82 at risk. 7%s age distribution of incidence is shown below. Age ac Number Total Incidence of Nodules Exposure Exposed through March, 1966 Fifty-five of the 69 were on Rongelap Island and received estimated’whole body doses of 175 R plus possible doses of 700 to 1400 rem to their thyroids from the radioiodine. The remaining 14 were visiting on Ailingnae, a nearby island, and received estimated 69 R whole body exposures plus less certain, but probably smaller thyroid doses. None of the six children (1-10 years of age) who were with the group on Ailingnae has shown nodules, but one of the ehree adults in the table was on Ailingnae.
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The only instance of cancer of the thyroid was seen in a Rongelap woman who was approximately 30 years of age at the time of exposure. The nodular condition seen in the young people is not a cancerous process,— although cancers of the thyroid often grow in nodular fashion. In August 1965 nearly all these people were placed on tetraiociothyronine, a synthetic thyroid hormone, on the basis that such therapy would modify the incidence and/or course of the nodular process. It appears to have been partially effective but it is still too soon to be definite. Forty children of the same age grouping who were on TJtirik Island and received 14 R whole body plus proportionately s~ller thyroid exposures were also examined. They showed no signs of-thyroid In addition, 194 unexposed Marshallese now living on examined; three instances of nodules were found, all than 47 years of age. nodules or thyroid these islands were among people more Five of the Marshallese with nodular thyroids will be brought to the Brookhaven National Laboratory during N&y 1966 for further diagnostic study and possible surgery. One is a 46-year-old woman; the others are girls 13, 13, 13 and 20 years old now. They will be accompanied by the Rongelap school teacher who will act as interpreter. The treatment and travel of these six Marshallese have been developed with cooperation of the Honorable Wilfred Goding, High Commissioner, Trust Territory of the You will be kept informed of the progress of these studies. An advanced copy of the public amouncement on National Laboratory is enclosed. this subject prepared by the Brookhaven Sincerely yours, DOE ARcHIVES Assistant General Manager for Research and Development . “Five Marshall Islanders to be Examined at Brookhaven Medical Centeq” announcement by Brookhaven National