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BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY
ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, ING.. UPTON, Ll, N.Y. 11973
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
401708
TELEPHONE: (516) ysoo?
November 25, 1975
Mr. Fred M. Zeder
Director of Territorlal Affairs
U.S. Department of Interior
Washington, D.C. 20240
Dear Mr, “eder,
Il have been in correspondence with your office and the Congress
of Micronesia concerning thyroid cases in the Rongelap and Utirik
populations, accidentally exposed to fullout radiation in i954,
which you might wish to consider for compensation in the bill coming
“sp before our Congress.
It was pointed out that though there has
. been correlation of radiation causation of thyroid tumors in*the
Rongelap population, such was not considered likely in the Utirik
population since the incidence of such tumors in the latter popula- ‘
tion was about the same (or slightly less) thaa in the ‘unexposed
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populations examined.
The radiation causation in one case of cancer |
of the thyroid in a Utirik woman was more questionable.
Last month
another tumor (possibly malignant) was surgically removed from a
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Utirik woman.
Nine outstanding thyroid pathologists were divided
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-on the diagnosis » 2 favoring benign, 3 cancer, and 4 calling it a
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premalignant tumor (cancer jn situ).
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We have decided to call the
tumor cancer for statistical purposes.
‘The statisticians advise
me that it is extremely unlikely that two cases of thyroid cancer
would occur by chance in the exposed Utirik population,
Therefore
you may wish to reexamine the issue of compensation based on this
new information.
The tnéidence of benign tumors of the thyroid in the Utirik
population is less than found in the unexposed Rongelap population
examined,
In addition to the 2 cases of thyroid cancer in this
group, there have been 4 benign tumors, 3 of which were surgically
removed.
In the unexposed Rongelap group there have been 9 benign
tumors of the thyroid, 3 of which were surgically removed (see
attached tables).
BEST COPYAVAILABLE
WM, 3 bo
INFORMATION OPERATOR (516} 345-2123
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