UNITED STATES oso ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. . 20545 APR 20 1971 Chairman Seaborg <-~——_% Commissioner Ramey Commissioner Johnson Commissioner Larson Commissioner THRU (loners 1 ManagerMe CURRENT MEDICAL STATUS OF THE MARSHALLESE EXPOSED TO FALLOUT FROM THE MARCH 1, 1954, TEST ON BIKINI BY DR. ROBERT A. CONARD, MEDICAL DEPARTMENT, BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY Dr. Conard conducted his annual medical survey of the exposed and non-exposed Marshallese between February 20 and March 20, 1971. He visited Rongelap, Utirik, Ebeye and Majuro Islands (Atolls). He reports that no new thyroid lesions were found in the exposed Rongelap people. One 35-year-old woman in the low exposure (14 rads) group on Utirik developed a slight enlargement of one lobe of the thyroid that will be watched. A 32«year-old unexposed control Rongelap woman living on Ebeye developed a nodular thyroid during the year for which surgery was recommended at the Majuro Hospital. The current status may be updated as follows: I. Young Rongelapese exposed to fallout March 1, 1954, when they were 1 to 8 years of age. (Estimated dose: 175 rads external gamma plus 600 to 1400 rem internal irradiation.) Total - 19 1. 2. Currently normal by clinical and biochemical tests. (There may be a slight unevenness of the gland in one patient.) Currently hypothyroid with minimal nodularity. Responding satisfactorily to oral thyroid hormone therapy, t oo US DOE ARCHIVES RG 326 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION Collection Box : Folder : . E. C. SeAber9 69 D/A logy ¢ Medte iwé i/t/27T 2 (11%) 3 (16%)