subscapular area (unless he had been customarily shirtless). However, two persons developing skin cancer out of a radiation-exposed population of 82 (2.5%) is greater than expected if Black population studies are used for comparison (Fleming, I.D. et al.). Furthermore, there is a suggestion of a temporal association, for the cancers occurred 32 and 37 years after exposure. Therefore, the possibility remains that radiation exposure did contribute in a direct or indirect way to the development of basal cell carcinomas in these two patients. Table 2 summarizes the thyroid nodule in the exposed Marshallese through 1 includes the nodule described in the "Occult Papillary Carcinoma.” The n types of nodules in the Comparison group listed in Table 2, although the U.S. De Energy-sponsored program forsurgical e of palpated nodules in this group was con 1985. THYROID SURGERY FINDINBS, 1964 THROUGH 1991 Thyroid nodules Only one thyroid nodule was diagnosed in the exposed population from January 1988 through December 1991. That nodule occurredin a Utirik man who had been in utero at the time of exposure in 1954. The mother was in her third trimester at the time of exposure, her whole-body and thyroid-absorbed doses being estimated at 11 and 160 cGy, respectively. The patient’s estimated dose was, therefore, 11 cGy whole-body and 99 cGy internally to the thyroid, for a total thyroid dose of 110 cGy. This patientis the first of eight Utirik persons exposed in utero to develop a thyroid nodule. (Two of four Rongelap persons who were in utero at the time of exposure have also had benign noduies removed). <A thyroid lobectomy was performed at the Clinical Center, The National Institutes of Health. Histological review of the surgical material was performed by the four pathology consultants to the Marshall Islands Medical Program (see p. 16). Selected comments from their diagnoses are: Consultant #1 "Thyroid nodule of histologically normal tissue which contains a tiny focus of occult papillary carcinoma." Introduction: Thyroid nodules and hypofunction ambng the exposed populations of Rongelap and, to lesser extent, Utirik are well documented consequgnces of the BRAVO exposure. A recent reevaluftion of external and internal radiation exposures those populationsin all likelihood represents the dEfinitive quantitative analysis of organ and whdle-body radiation dose stemming from this catastrophe (Lessard et al., 1985). The thyroid dose particularly close scrutiny because of early of extensive thyroid injury and because an impportant osed following radiation exposure. The incidqnce of thyroid cancer has been reported to be qlevated Consultant #2 - "Adenomatous goiter in the colloid stage." Consultant #3 - "Nodule with fibrosis.... No evidence of cancer.” "Tiny occult sclerosing Consultant #4 papillary carcinoma." © A summary of this patient’s hospital case is included in Appendix C. The patient was returned home on thyroxine suppression. surgeries for recurrent benign nodules Rongelap group, but these are not include statistics that follow). Although occasional increases naturally with aging, it is possible tRat the recent dearth of cases represents a pause tht is 14