ao PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVE D BNL BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY AOL9TS AUJ ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC.. UPTON, LI, N.Y. 11973 MEDICAL DEPARTMENT 7 TéLerHONe: ($16) 345-3577 November 22, 1972 REPOSITORY The Honorable Edward Johnston High Commiasioner Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Saipan, Mariana Islands 96950 COLLECTION BOX No. FOLDER Doz/fpse Dee/a wo" SAAT. " CRDA 3 B/O- MEO OR. CONHLD O/ THAU L2L A972 Dear Ed: It was with deepest sorrow that I learned of the death of last week. At the time I was in Cleveland where the two Marshallese girls were undergoing thyroid surgery, I went immediately to Washington to be with the family and help with final arrangements, Ac the NIH Clinical Centcr, probably the best hospital in the world for the treatment of leukemia, was given the best known chemo- therapeutic agents and everything possible was done for him. However, in spite of all this, pneumonia, complicating the leukemia, proved to be too much for him resulting in his death. I was sorry I was not able to leave with the family but Mr. William Scott, from this laboratory, who has worked with me on many surveys and knows the Rongelap people well, agreed to accompany the family to Rongelap for the funeral. Dr. Knudsen was already out there, I was happy that Peter Coleman was able to go also. I understand that after some difficulties in getting the remains to the islands, the funeral was finally held yesterday. It was good of you to arrange the sea plane. I was at the Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital for thyroid surgery on the two girls done by Dr. Brown Dobyns. The nodules were successfully removed. In one case ( ), benign adenomatous nodules were found, and in the other case ( ), a small papillary carcinoma was found. However, no metastases or lymph nodes were found, The prognosis in both cases is excellent. The girls had uneventful recoveries and by now should be on their way to Majuro. I am writing Dr. Taman about follow-up care in these patients. Assuming that the surveys are to continue, we would like to plan the next one for March to include examinations of all exposed and control Rongelap people, In view of the finding of the case of leukemia, the usual careful hematological examinations will include bone marrow’ study if indicated, and we also plan to carry out additional examinations of the blood on the Rongelap exposed people at six-month intervals. PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED INFORMATION OPERATOR (516) 345-2123