Children are at a higher risk of thyroid disease from exposure to 131 I because one major source of exposure is drinking milk from cows who have grazed on contaminated grass, and children often drink more milk than adults. In addition, a child's smaller thyroid gland receives a bigger dose per unit of ingested radio-iodine. For example, a newborn's thyroid dose is about 16 times higher per ingested micro-curie of 131 I than an adult's dose. Accordingly, persons who were in their childhood years during Hanfords' release of 131 I are at greatest risk, and may have been most harmed by the releases. Thyroid Disorders Thyroid Neoplasms and Thyroid Cancer Thyroid neoplasms are masses of the thyroid, often called nodules.
Nodules occur when the control of cell growth within the nodule is abnormal.
They occur more often in women than in men. However, they may produce difficulty in swallowing, speaking or breathing if they become too large and put pressure on important structures in the neck. Thyroid nodules may be cancerous, or can become cancerous. For people who develop uncommon but dangerous forms of the disease, or if the thyroid cancer is undetected until an advanced stage, the disease may be fatal. In 1997, an estimated 16,100 Americans were diagnosed with thyroid cancer.