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COMMISSION
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July 12, 1965
6 (165-1982
SSORANDUM FOR:
CHAIRMAN SEABORG
COLMISSIONER PALFREY
COMMISSIONER RAMEY
COMMISSIONER TAPE
THACUGH GENERAL MANAGER
SUBJECT:
THYROID DISEASE IN RONGELAP ISLANDERS
ving the week of July 5, 1965, the three Rongelapese who were
brought to this country for study. at Brookhaven National
Laboratory were operated on at the Lahey Clinic, Boston. You
will recall that thyroid tumors were noted at the 1965 medical
examination of those exposed to fallout in March 1954 from che
Bravo Test.
The two teen-age boys were found to have each a solitary benign
tumor of the thyroid. These nodules were removed surgically.
The middle-aged woman was found to have a carcinoma of the
thyroid gland with some metastases to local structures. A subtotal thyroidectony was carried out. In her case, the prognosis
She will be given 30 millicuries of Lodine-131
is fair.
therapeutically to destroy persisting thyroid tissue.
It is interesting that the dose of radioiodine to the thyroid
gland in the case of the woman is estimated at about 160 rads,
or approximately one-tenth that to the glands of the youths.
Presently under consideration is theadministration of dessicated
thyroid tablets prophylactically to all the Rongelapese who were
at Rongelap or Alinginae at the time of fallout.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
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Charles L. Ducham, M.D.
Director, Division of
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Biology and Medicine
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