tae: -2- 5 Dr. Conard explained thac the reason the thyroid gland received a4« much lerger dose than the wnole body is because of a process called selective absorption by the thyroid of radioactive iodine from food and water ingested by the Marshallese following the falloutc. The more serious cases of Rongelap indivicuals with thyroid nodules have been brought back to the United States for thyroid surgery. Included in this group were nine children who had benign adenomatous goiters and an older woman who had cancer of the thyroid gland. It is not known whether her cancer is related to the faiiout. All of the indivicuels with thyroid abnormalities were put on a special an analysis of blood samp es pA noted. was taking ui o treatment of thyroid hormones in ta let form wnen the abnormalities were first in the past year showed that not everyone the tablets regularly, which is necessary if normal thyroid hormone levels are to be maintained. It is especially necessary for the children if they ére to grow and cevelop nozvmaily and remain nealthy. To overcome this problem, a new treatment schedule was put into effect this year. e€acn incividuai to take one tablet daily, Instead of relying upon seven tablets will be taken once a week in the presence of a responsible individual who will use a check-off list. There te 3 nm i) aw o be Oo fr fe Ou tc wm rsus ao age v cu is no Gitterence in body assimilation of the hormone between the once-a-week dos- a that in the near future four Kongelap thyroid cases (chree teen-age boys and a 29 year old women) wiil be brought to Brookhaven Nation2 Laborarory's Medical Research Center for detailed study and evaluation of the neec for tnyroid surgery. Gutside of the thyroid abnormalities, there were no new medical effects or nutritional Cericiencies noted as a result of the exposure. scion is in gooc neath and good spirits. The general popula- in the exposed group, no death occurr- éa and no miscarrieges or still births were reported, although a number of normal, healtny baedies were born to both the exposed and un-exposed people. Over the yearS a number of deaths have occurred, but none of them are attributed to the fallout or its eitects. Dr. Conard nored that the 1969 examination wiil be the i5th post-exposure os ye xr, and a complete examination of both the exposed and control population is paanned. tart + Lopiep/p , é LANL po OE