UNITED STATES
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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON. D.C.
US DOEARCHIVES
my 3188
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‘RG
MEMORANDUM FOR CHAIRMAN SEABORG
COMMISSIONER RAMEY
COMMISSIONER ‘TAPE
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON
THROUGH GENERAL MANAGER
SUBJECT:
20545
906 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY
COMMISSION
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$53?
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Donald C. Kull fer
RESULTS OF THE ANNUAL MEDICAL SURVEY OF THE MARSHALLESE
PEOPLE EXPOSED TO FALLOUT IN 1954
The subject survey carried out during March 1968 resulted in the
detection of two more cases of thyroid nodules in children who were
exposed to fallout on Rongelap when they were less than ten years of
age. This brings the total number of cases of thyroid abnormalities
in the 67 living Rongelapese to 21; of the 19 children in the more
heavily exposed group who were less than 10 years of age at time of
exposure, 17, or 90%, have developed thyroid abnormalities.
It was decided that 4 cases should be brought to the Brookhaven
National Laboratory for complete medical evaluation and, if necessary,
surgery. Preparations for their transportation and reception are now
taking place, Three are people having thyroid nodules which had not
responded to thyroid hormone therapy, The fourth is a 29-year-old
woman with an unidentified tumor in the neck lateral to the gland, In
the past, 11 Marshallese have undergone surgery; one woman exposed as
an adult was found to have cancer of the thyroid, while 10 who were
exposed when less than 10 years of age had benign adenomatous goiters,.
The incidence of thyroid problems in this population is tabulated on
the attached sheet,
John R. Totter
Director
Division of Biology and Medicine
Attachment:
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Thyroid Nodules Including sypothyroidisa“bee: Cong. Rel. (2)
in the Marshallese Populations as of
~skGM (2)
March 1968
.
Folder Geveral Mawepeas fending A c
Secy (2)
AGMRD
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BMA
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