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MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
TELEPHONE: (516) 345- 3577
November 25, 1975
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Mr. Fred M. Zeder
Director of Territorial Affairs
U.S. Department of Interior
Washington, D.C, 20240
Dear Mr. Zeder,
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I have been in correspondence with your office and the Congress
of Micronesia concerning thyroid cases in the Rongelap and Utirik
populations, accidentally exposed to fallout radiation in 1954,
which you might wish to consider for compensation in the bill coming
up before our Congress.
It was pointed out that though there has
been correlation of radiation causation with thyroid tumors in the
Rongelap population, such was not considered likely in the Utirik
population since the incidence of such tumors in the latter population was about the same (or slightly less) than in the unexposed
populations examined. The radiation causation in one case of cancer
of the thyroid in a Utirik woman was more questionable. Last month
another tumor (possibly malignant) was surgically removed from a
Utirik woman. Nine outstanding thyroid pathologists were divided
on the diagnosis - 2 favoring benign, 3 cancer, and 4 calling it a
premalignant tumor (cancer in situ).
We have decided to call the
tumor cancer for statistical purposes. The statisticians advise
me that it is extremely unlikely that two cases of thyroid cancer
would occur by chance in the exposed Utirik population. Therefore
you may wish to reexamine the issue of compensation based on this
new information,
ymke 7
(AK
The incidence of benign tumors of the thyroid in the Utirik
population is less than found in the unexposed Rongelap population
examined.
In addition to the 2 cases of thyroid cancer in this
group, there have been 4 benign tumors, 3 of which were surgically
removed,
In the unexposed Rongelap group there have been 9 benign
tumors of the thyroid, 3 of which were surgically removed (see
attached tables).
4
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4° 293
WFORMATION OPERATOR (516) 345-2123