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HTDS Guide
Following more than 12 years of scientific research, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center have released the Hanford Thyroid Disease Study (HTDS)
Final Report.
The HTDS, mandated by Congress in 1988, was conducted to determine
whether thyroid disease is increased among people who were exposed as
children to atmospheric releases of radioactive iodine from the Hanford
Nuclear Site (Hanford) in Washington State from 1944 through 1957.
CDC and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center prepared this
guide to help communicate the meaning of the HTDS to the public. The
guide summarizes the findings, explains how and why the study was
conducted, and includes information about the treatment of thyroid
disease.
In the mid-1980s, the U.S. Department of Energy released documents
showing that large amounts of radioactive materials, including
iodine-131, had been released into the environment from Hanford since
the mid-1940s. The public, health officials and scientists were
concerned that these materials could have harmed the health of people
living in the region.
The HTDS was conducted in response to these concerns. While no study
can determine the cause of an individual case of thyroid disease, an
epidemiological study, such as the HTDS, provides the best way to
determine whether disease has increased in a population exposed to a
potentially harmful agent such as radiation.
Over the years, many thousands of people have been involved in the
HTDS, including the 3,440 participants of the study. Members of the
public, health care officials, physicians, scientists and many others
have also been involved.
CDC remains committed to providing useful information to the public
about the HTDS and related issues.
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