1950s Research Could Increase Risk of Cancer

Students at state schools unwittingly subjected to Harvard researchers' radiation experiments in the 1950s and 1960s may be at a increased risk for cancer, a Massachusetts official said Wednesday.

Richard Robison, a Department of Mental Retardation official, suggested that the more than 200 retarded patients studied at the Wrentham and Fernald state schools be examined for thyroid cancer.

Although the risk is slight, Robison said those involved in the experiments should take all possible measures to detect any signs of the disease.

"For the individuals we can identify and locate, we will do anything we can to ensure they have thorough screening and follow-up," Robison said.

A state task force to which Robison belongs is presently reviewing the experiments to determine their ethical and financial implications.

A Harvard Medical School group, along with an expert from the University of Utah, advised the task force on the subjects' danger of cancer.

Wednesday's report followed an April release by the task force that concentrated on similar experiments involving radioactive iron and calcium.

In both task force missives, however, Robisonsaid that the group concurred that the patientsunderwent the experiments without their familiesknowing enough information, that the experimentsignored the students' human rights, and that thestate was remiss in not protecting those rights.

Another state report released this year atFernald found that Harvard and MIT researchers'conducted experiments with radiation "in violationof the fundamental human rights" of scores ofretarded students during the 1940s, '50s and '60s.

The report proposed that the federal governmentreimburse subjects for any medical diagnoses andtreatments related to the experiments.

Documents included in the report as well asothers obtained by The Crimson showed that thetests were led by the late Dr. Clemens E. Benda.

Benda was Fernald's medical director at thetime and also a faculty member at the HarvardMedical School.

One of Benda's subjects voiced concern in Maythat the government was dismissing the possiblehealth costs of the experiments. Charles Dyer saidhe thought it was possible that test subjects hadsuffered health effects.

"We were brought up here to be taught thingsand to learn," Dyer said. "But we were used, and Idon't think that's right."

In 1952, researchers at Fernald used smallamounts of radioactive iodine to study thyroidfunction in muscular dystrophy and Down's syndromepatients. In 1961, researchers performed nearlythe same experiment on Down's syndrome children atWrentham.

The thyroid absorbs both naturally-occurringiodine and radioactive iodine.

Researchers who performed the radioactiveiodine experiments came not only from HarvardMedical School but from MIT, the state, BethIsrael Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospitaland Boston University School of Medicine.

This story was compiled with the aid of wiredispatches

In both task force missives, however, Robisonsaid that the group concurred that the patientsunderwent the experiments without their familiesknowing enough information, that the experimentsignored the students' human rights, and that thestate was remiss in not protecting those rights.

Another state report released this year atFernald found that Harvard and MIT researchers'conducted experiments with radiation "in violationof the fundamental human rights" of scores ofretarded students during the 1940s, '50s and '60s.

The report proposed that the federal governmentreimburse subjects for any medical diagnoses andtreatments related to the experiments.

Documents included in the report as well asothers obtained by The Crimson showed that thetests were led by the late Dr. Clemens E. Benda.

Benda was Fernald's medical director at thetime and also a faculty member at the HarvardMedical School.

One of Benda's subjects voiced concern in Maythat the government was dismissing the possiblehealth costs of the experiments. Charles Dyer saidhe thought it was possible that test subjects hadsuffered health effects.

"We were brought up here to be taught thingsand to learn," Dyer said. "But we were used, and Idon't think that's right."

In 1952, researchers at Fernald used smallamounts of radioactive iodine to study thyroidfunction in muscular dystrophy and Down's syndromepatients. In 1961, researchers performed nearlythe same experiment on Down's syndrome children atWrentham.

The thyroid absorbs both naturally-occurringiodine and radioactive iodine.

Researchers who performed the radioactiveiodine experiments came not only from HarvardMedical School but from MIT, the state, BethIsrael Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospitaland Boston University School of Medicine.

This story was compiled with the aid of wiredispatches