PROPOSED RESPONSES TO INQUIRIES 1. Q@. What is new fs the recent Brookhaven announcement on Five Marshallese with thyroid disorders? A. It motes that thyreid gland nodules were @fiagnosed in en additional five people during the twelfth annuel medical survey ef the Marshall Islanders which was conducted early (February-March) this year. 2. Q. What fe the totel number of thyroid nodules cases detected in Marshallese to date? A. There have been a total ef 16 cases in the 69 people now living of the original 82 people exposed. The deaths that occurred during the past twélve years were among elderly people and vere mot considered to be radistioa-conmected. Thirteen ef the 19 young people, or 68 per cent, in the more heavily exposed group on Rongelep had nodules. Ali had been exposed at less than ten years of age. 3. Q. Are thyroid nodules malignant er benignt A. Ia all of the echildran exanined surgically the thyroid nodules have been benign. Those not spersted on yet are assumed to be benigh. The possibility ef an eccasional malignancy cannot be ruled cout, however. Gane of the people in the exposed group, an sdult woman, has cancer ef the thyroid which has been treated surgically. 4. RG Box e1- Q. Are the nodules in the thyroid radiation-connected? ‘A. We believe so. Since they have been found in the exposed population much more fraequentily than in the unexposed group, we must assume that US DOE ARCHIVES 3996 U.S. ATOM DAGMESBEFreqhency ef the nodules is radiation-connected. ‘Collectior — Bessy Cory AVAILABLE © em uy 5s3"3 a” 4 nansranete (sore) Rendita c le.