PROPOSED RESPONSES TO INQUIRIES 1. Q. What is new in the recent Brookhaven announcement on five Marshallese with thyroid disorders? A. It notes that thyroid gland nodules were diagnosed in an additional five people during the twelfth annual medical survey of the Marshall Islanders which was conducted early (February-March) this year. 2. Q. What is the total number of thyroid nodules cases detected in Marshallese to date? . A. . There have been a total of 16 cases in the 69 people now living of the original 82 people exposed. The deaths that occurred during the past twelve years were among elderly people and were not considered to be radiation-connected. Thirteen of the 19 young people, or 68 per cent, in the more heavily exposed group on Rongelap had nodules. All had been exposed at less than ten years of age. € 3. Q. Are thyroid nodules malignant or benign? A. In all of the children examined surgically the thyroid nodules have been benign. Those not operated on yet are assumed to be benign. The possibility of an occasional malignancy cannot be ruled out, however. One of the people in the exposed group, an adult woman, has cancer of the thyroid which has been treated surgically, 4. Q. Are the nodules in the thyroid radiation-connected? A. We believe so. Since they have been found in the exposed population much more ‘frequent ly than in the unexposed group, we must assume that the increased frequency of the nodules is radiation=connected. - T aya 108 FO a