a
5
to
epeat
hea
sacar?
Saye te ee
ET
Bat
ay te Dees
of£ the
thyroid
slants
to
respond
to
furcher
TS
stinelation’?
-
.
4
-.
.
tne
tintny
of the nodulo
factor in nodule formation.
However,
the nodules occurred early tn adolescence in the young?2r exposad children
those who vare older ct exposure.
of the existence cf
hyroid nodules in so many subjects raises the que:
gLY
The finding co
goltrogenic factors unrelated to radiation.
tion
However,
the overwhelming concentration ef the nodules within a specific eze-exposure
environmental fectois other than fallout
radiation.
The lack of development
of thyroid cbnormelitics in children of seme ages of less heavily exposed
tad
groups (6 Addingnee and 54 Utirik children) as well as in 48 unexposed cali
dren all living in the sane or similar environment substantiates the cbhove
conclusion.
Althovshno thyroid cancer hes been dateciad es yat in the Rongelap
children, the risk of malignancy should be considered increased.
It is now
15 years from time of exposure, well within the 3 to 27 year latent period
for cencer cevelopment reportee in the Literacuel®, 19, 20,
The subjects
are fin the late teers and early twenties where the p eak incidence of radia~
4
a
tien-r
elated thyroid
cance
ta
18,
has been
noted
+
19
.
alas
Sy
The physical
deses
of£
mL
rediation to which the thyroid glands of the Rongelap children were subjected
ere hisher than those doses which have been associated with late development
It is ponsible that in the Marshallese children the
vith reported ceses** since exposure
was loreely aus to vedietedines.
to the thyvotd ¢
Under conditions of tha fallout,
nai wes received over so period of hours.
the
done