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W. H. ADAMS: LATE MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES OF EXPOSURE TO RADIOACTIVE

LATE MEDICAL FINDINGS
n, since the radiation
internal exposures, a
y not cover the. range
en Medical Program

Thirty-six years of observation continue to show no detectable increase in mortality in the

exposed population (Figure 1). The survival curves of the Rongelap population, which received a
whole body radiation dose of 190 rad, the Utirik population which received I! rad, and an

clude an increase in
trend to lower blood

TT

Tf

'

TT

TT ys

ToT

TT

TT

fT

TTT

TTT

T

T

Tt

T

I'eT

Tf

T

T

Ff

TT

I |

ided annual thyroid
all exposed persons,

ation (the intent being
ts, and evaluation for
sammaglobulinemia,

ated alpha-fetoprotein
There is also ongoing

ec exposed population
essel chartered by the
inteers selected from
lical institutions. The

2

fOr

ene,

s 60F

ie

=

S 50-

|

se 40>

___ RONGELAP AND AILINGNAE EXPOSED ( 86)

--— UTIRIK EXPOSED

30;

20K

0 RONGELAP COMPARISON GROUP

1a majorfactor in the
ves, for the enrallment

100% for Utirik, and

( 86)

|

7

poke

1955

[960

(posed and unexposed
of those available for
rik, and 72% for the

4

(167)

lOr
0

Figure |.

7]

1965

1970
1975
YEAR

[980

1985

[990

Percent survivors of the different exposure groups since 1954. The number of persons

in each groupis given in parentheses.

among eligible women
elect to undergo this

unexposed group of Rongelap people selected in 1957 and matched approximately by age and sex

to the exposed Rongelap group continue to be similar. This is not surprising because Japanese A-

im is distinct from the
of health care which

bomb survivors, which included a far greater number of radiation-ex posed individuals, many of

atolls. This network
000, whereas the U.S.-

shortening of life-span, even when correlated with radiation dose (9). In addition, a separate study

Ith care for all persons
s, regardless of their

health screening for that population might have led to an underestimation of the effect of radiation

who were exposed to

whom received a much higher radiation dose than the people of Rongelap, have also had no overall
of Nagasaki A-bomb survivors revealed their 1970-1984 age-specific death rates from ail causes to
be lower than controls, although it has been suggested that the effectiveness of programs providing
on mortality (10). Clearly, therefore, concern over the consequences of the 1954 exposure
iranscends mortality statistics.
273

S012ob5

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