Screening for thyroid abnormalities among immigrants to Israel from the former USSR

The exposure of some former Soviet citizens to radiation following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster has raised the question of the need to enroll these individuals in screening programs for thyroid abnormalities upon their immigration to Israel. Since screening programs have many drawbacks, and screening for thyroid disease has never been shown to decrease mortality or to improve survival, we are of the opinion that the establishment of thyroid screening programs will do more harm than good. The timely diagnosis of the very small excess in benign and malignant thyroid disease to be anticipated among the immigrants can be achieved in the community by the primary care physician armed with specific knowledge of the risks and the initial diagnostic approaches to suspected thyroid disease as well as information on the availability of specialist backup.