"BOE ARCHIVE: od / a y a UNITED STATES 408300 ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, ©.C. (ay 20545 OE ARCHIVES GY; ene U.S. US,D 3 a1 ATOMIC ENER 3° 888; 326 - eee am Ra _ COMMISSION.__-_ _—’ Collection Gb-63. Leann | Mr. John T, Conway Executive Director Joint Committee on Atomic Energy Congress of the United States Dear Mr, Conway: | Box US. I \ Folder aH us 3 feclicbe,\% zureeemeet! . meeeEGUoe, <a The following summarizes the current status on the incidence of, thyroid disorders among the people of Rongelap Island who were exposed to fallout on March 1, 1954, Dr. Conard, Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, conducted the most recent survey in March 1968, The results of the 1967 survey were reported to you by letter dated May 12, 1967. At that time we indicated that 17 people had developed thyroid nodules, ll of which had been treated surgically. In the most recent survey, 2 more cases of thyroid nodules in children who were exposed to fallout on Rongelap when they were less than ten years of age were found, This brings the total number of cases of thyroid abnormalities in the 67 living Rongelapese to 21; of the 19 children in the more heavily exposed group who were less than 10 years of age at time of exposure, 17, or 90% have developed thyroid abnormalities, It was decided that 4 cases should be brought to the Brookhaven National Laboratory for complete medical evaluation and, if BIL &-3 necessary, surgery. Preparations for their transportation and reception are now taking place. Three are people having thyroid nodules which had not responded to thyroid hormone therapy. Th. fourth is a 29-year-old woman with an unidentified tumor in the neck lateral to the gland. In the past, 11 Marshallese have undergone surgery; one woman exposed as an adult was found to have cancer of the thyroid, while 10 who were exposed when less than 10 years of age had benign adenomatous goiters,