Dr. Conard was expressed and recently negative feelings about Dr. Knudson have arisen as well. The distrust is not intended as a personal attack but rather is pointed at the attitudes and philosophy of the program that they express to the people. The program as conducted at Utirik has sharply split the island into two groups - those exposed people examined regularly by the Brookhaven team and a larger group of unexposed people who receive only indirect attention. This situation differs sharply from the way ihe program operates at Rongelap. At Rongelap, the people were divided into two groups - those exposed and a larger unexposed group which serves as the control group for the research . protocol of the study. At Rongelap both groups receive the same detailed examinations so virtually the entire islands population receive care. At Utirik, no control group exists, so only the exposed receive care from the team. The people at Utirik see this difference between their atoll and Rongelap and wish to receive equal treatment by the team. For twenty-two years, the people have heard Dr. Conard and other doctors tell them not to worry, that the dose of radiation received at the island was too low to cause any harmful effects. Apparently, the experts assured the program that according to theary a low dose of 14 rads should not cause any adverse human effects. Hence, the program examined the Utirik people in detail only once every three years, no control group was established, and the people received only minimal compensation. However, within the past year it has become apparent that the theory was wrong and in rcalily cifects aitributai to 1adiation have been discovered at Utirik. It has been found that there is as much thyroid cancer at Utirik as at Rongelap - 3 cases each. In fact, the ratio of thyroid cancer to thyroid nodules found in exposed people at both islands, is higher at Utirik than at Rongelap. In addition, a young man, son of an exposed person, was found at Utirik to have thyroid cancer and no such unexposed case has been found at Rongelap. The official explanation for the high incidence of thyroid cancer at Utirik is unknown at present. Yet in the peoples mind the explanationis that it is a radiation effect despite what the doctors have said for twenty years. The distrust the people have for Dr. Conard developed because of the inconsistency when he stresses no problem exists and then, at a later time, an actual health problem arises. The people ask if this thyroid problem has suddenly occurred, is it not possible that the experts have been wrong for so many years and that more problems will occur in the future? The theory was put forth that Utirik received low radiation so a detailed follow up was not necessary. Now the facts of the thyroid cancer at Utirik have strongly shown that the theory is wrong. Furthermore, the Rongelap exposed population has been on Synthroid since 1964 for suppression of normal thyroid gland function to try to prevent the development of further thyroid lesions. The new findings raise the question of whether the Utirik people should also be on such a thyroid suppression program and that if it had been started at the same time as Rongelap, the thyroid cancer at Utirik might have been prevented, 1912201