Thyroid Abnormalities
Small growths (neoplasms) were felt in the thyroids of three young girls
at 9 and 10 years post exposure.
They were subsequently operated upon and
their thyroids totally or partially removed.
Since that time in 1963,
operations for thyroid nodules have been performed on 20 people, 17 from the
Rongelap exvosed, one from Ailinginae, one from Utirik, and one person from
Rongelap not exposed to the original fallout.
While it is generally
acknowledged that most of these nodules are nonmalignant
operations were performed for two reasons,
(1)
(not cancerous),
the
to check for possible malignancy,
and (2) for removal based on the fact that the thyroids were no longer
functioning and.to anticipate the possibility of the growths turning malignant
at a later date.
In all, four of these nodules were found to have "malignant
lesions" according to a report from Dr. Conard.
(See appendix summarizing the
1972 survey).
As explained before, it was known that the thyroids of the persons had
been exposed to doses near or above tolerance.
However, especially in the case
of exposed children, the differing size of the thyroid was not taken into
consideration and this resulted in little expectation of later nodule development.
Despite this fact, and probably in consideration of thyroid findings in exposed
Japanese at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the thyroid was watched carefully in all
of the surveys and various tests were conducted to try and locate -- short of
surgery ~~ any possible abnormalities.
These tests, however, failed to
indicate any future possible problems because of the presence of an unusually
high amount of certain chemicals
Americans.
fO1812t
(iodoprotein)
in the Marshallese compared to
Thus it was that the eleven and twelve year report commented that:
we