-17The irradiated Marshallese thyroids often have many minute soljid cellular or
mixed papillary and follicular lesions in addition to the much larger lesion which
had drawn primary attention on physical examination.
Many of the
occupying an area no larger than a dozen normal follicles just as
diny lesions are
is seen in the
radiated rat thyroids.
An exposed Marshallese waman on wham we did a total thyroidectamy in 1969 for
Carcinoma has developed a pituitary tmor, as evidenced by erosionlof the sella
tursica.
This may be the first human example of the Furth mice in
were destroyed and a pituitary tumor rich in TSH subsequently deve
clincal case, the woman had presumably been taking the T, supple
In this
as supplied.
The final important observation among the Marshallese has been the
elopment of
lesions in 2 young men who at the time of exposure were in utero.
determined, the fetuses were sufficiently developed so that the
taken up radioiodine.
id should have
The thyroids in these cases showed multiple
recently operated one of the mothers for what proved to be miltipla
"atypical" adenoma
The long delay in the development of neoplasms following ‘i
in the Marshallese as well as in the animals.
Our experience has
do not develop lesions readily unless they are irradiated when ve
2/3 of the life span has lapsed.
9 years.
young and 1/2 to
The first Marshallese lesions didjnot develop for
Many of the first lesions found came from the atoll with [he greatest fall-
out (Rongelap).
It was quite some years later that lesions began appearing in peonle
who were on the next nearest atoll (Alingnae) where the dose had bein somewhat less.
While lesions were appearing on the nearer atolls, the low dose recRived on an atoll
much further away (Uterik) seemed to have produced no lesions.
However, in the most
Tecent years, 8 individuals have been cperated from this most remot#
of the carinomas found have come fram this atoll.
These observati
atoll.
Four
emphasize even
more the risk of the low dose range and the long latent period to pyoduce neoplasms.