BR ne cag ee ape
UNITED STATES
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
VO
WASHINGTON, D.c, 20545
October 2, 1964
ED pols4
MEMORANDUMFOR CHAIRMAN SEAB
THROUGR
GENERAL masuce *Y
SUBJECT:
OcT 5
1864
THYROID DISEASE IN RONGELAP ISLANDERS
During the February 1964 annual medical survey of the Marshallese
Islanders exposed to fallout from the March 1, 1954, shot over
Bikini, three young teenagers, 13-14 years old, were found to have
nodules in their thyroid glands,
The medical team felt that two of
them should have immediate thyroidectomies, and these operations were ~
successfully carried out at the Naval Hospital on Guam with the full
cooperation of the Trust Territory people and the medical services
of the Department of Defense,
The ‘pathological diagnoses were papillary adenocarcinoma, a malignant
tumor of the thyroid, The prognosis, of course, is uncertain, but
the surgeons are reported to have felt that they may have removed all
the neoplastic tissue. While this information has not been transmitted
formally, it is regarded as reliable. It is planned that a ten year
summary of the health status of the exposed Marshallese, including
these recent developments, will be prepared for prompt publication in
a prominent journal such as the Journal of the American Medical
Association,
Preparations are now going ahead to have the third child with a
small nodule operated on as 300n as possible, The estimated doses
to these thyroids are some 100 to 175 rads external gamma plus 100 to
150 rads from absorbed radioiodine,
US DOE ARCHIVES
RG
996 U.S ATOMIC ENERGY
COMMISSION
Collecticn F.C _Seaborg
Bax
rolder
oF
Oyvm 2- 2 .
en ee
|
!
!