« RG -~ 526 U.UARMROENERGY AO ie? COMMISSION Collection <C SesBonc Box 64 OA wolise. epee| Folde 1Tre, oFTaynorp | Exeo 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 ee aes .re Charles L. Ducham, M.D. Director, Division of mei bry: Biology and Medicine abe Fes RE : eet a3 tae y ghee “ ca +t CaS % vals ce: Secretariat (2) u ac)1D . hE A BM DIRECTOR AGM/ED pO 1/12/6 - L Wt/os GM Ty °of