‘may be occurring in the Marshallese. In Table 4, of the 17 lead- ing causes of death in the Marshall Islands, 1974 to 1976, cancer and cerebral vascular diseases are tied as the two leading causes of death. Prematurity is the third leading cause of death. Congenital defects accounted for 3.3% of all deaths, indicating the substantial severity of these defects. In Table 5, prematurity, with 22.3%, ranks first among the causes of death in children of aces 0 to 4, 1974 to 1976, and congenital defects and birth related injuries, second with 19.4%, for a combined total of 42% of all deaths. Section V of the report states that "People of Rongelap and Utirik have significantly increased thryroid pathology, undoubt edly radiation related, and manifested by hypothyroidism and an increase in both benign and malignant thyroid tumors." It also adés that "There is the possibility of other radiation related diseases in the Rongelap population surprising, therefore, (e.g. leukemia)." It is that the Loma Linda Report states in the introduction to Section XII "It is increasingly evident that the actual health impact of radiation on even the most directly affected is minimal. This not only further complicates any attempt to distinguish these individuals from others, but also raises the question of the need for maintaining this distinction. In many respects, the categorical separation of the affected and nonaffected groups appears to be primarily a political issue." In part B of the same section, the statement is made that "It is medically impossible to distinguish in any particular individual whether a disease complex or symptom is radiation related or not. Epidemiological studies over time on groups of people can establish increased incidences of particular problems, but this