an ALE To nod a u UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20545 myenee yd, AOS ay MAY 12 1966 Mr. John T. Conway Executive Director Joint Committee on Atomic Energy | . Congress of the United States Dear Mr. Conway: 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 of: medical 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 survey conducted during August 1965. 1963. 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 thyroids among the 69 survivors of the original 82 at risk. The age distribution of incidence is shown below, Age at Exposure Number Exposed 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 Total Incidence of Nodules through March, 1966 Number Percent 16 9 7 5 > 20 9 4 0 0 32 3 69 16 56 44 - 2 ru 25 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 three adults in the table was on Ailingnae, +, US DOE ARCHIVES ac 326 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY T Collection FC SERRORG Chairman wd By GT - : ONIATENCADENCE_ OF TuyantD Folde rn ISEASES ] ii Tae Exposes Groups (265-!%bd | 20