[ RadSafe ] RE: Radon and Lung Cancer

Wed Feb 14 12:50:00 CST 2007

Here is a far from exhaustive list of references, in no particular order, 
that show apparent thresholds at low doses of alpha radiation.  Could anyone 
cite references which show unequivocal linear dose-effect relationships for 
cancer induction at low doses of alpha radiation in mammals, including 
humans.  NO EXTRAPOLATIONS, PLEASE!  NO IN VITRO STUDIES!  Isolated cell and 
tissue cultures do not benefit from the array of defense mechnisms that 
exist in whole organisms.

Lloyd, Ray D.; Taylor, Glenn N.; Fisher, Darrell R.; Schlenker, Robert A.; 
Miller, Scott C.  Effective Thresholds for Induction of Skeletal 
Malignancies by Radionuclides.  Health Physics. 79(6):722-727, December 
2000.

Conrady J., Martin, K., Poffijn, A., Tirmarche, M., Lembecke, J., Thai, 
D.M., Martin, H. High residential radon health effects in Saxony (Schneeberg 
study).  Report Contract No. FI4P-CT95-0027, European Community (1999).

Evans R.D. The effects of skelatally deposited Alpha-ray emitters in man. 
Brit J Radiol. 39:  881-895 (1967).

Evans, R.D.  Radium in man.  Health Physics 27(5):497-510 (1974)

Raabe O.G, Parks N.J. and Book S.A. Dose-response relationships for bone 
tumors in Beagle exposed to 226Ra and 90Sr.  Health Physics 40(6):863-880 
(1981).

Sanders C.L., McDonald, K.E., Mahafey, J.A.  Lung tumor response to inhaled 
Pu and its implications for radiation protection.  Health Phys. 55(2):455 
(1988).

Tokarskaya,Z.B.; Okladnikova,N.D.; Belyaeva,Z.D.; Drozhko,E.G. 
Multifactorial analysis of lung cancer dose-response relationships for 
workers at the Mayak nuclear enterprise.  Health Physics 73(6):899-905 
(1997).

White, R.G., Raabe, O.G., Culbertson, M.R., Parks, N.S., Samuels, S.J., 
Rosenblatt, L.S.  Bone sarcoma characteristics and distribution in Beagles 
injected with radium 226.   Radiat. Res. 137:361 (1994).

R.E. Mitchel, J.S. Jackson and B. Heinmiller,  Inhaled uranium ore dust and 
lung cancer risk in rats. Health Phys 76(2):145-55 (1999).

E.A. Nekolla, M. Kreisheimer, A.M. Kellerer, M. Kuse-Isingschulte, W. 
Gössner, H. Spiess,  Induction of Malignant Bone Tumors in Radium-224 
Patients: Risk Estimates Based on the Improved Dosimetry. Radiat Res 
153(1):93-103 (2000).

The last reference shows clearly enough that, for radon decay products, the 
relevant parameter is the dose rate, not the total accumulated dose - an 
elevated risk is observed at a low exposure (low dose) delivered at a high 
dose rate. At the same total low dose delivered at a low dose rate (still 
much larger than for indoor or contemporary mine exposure conditions) the 
risk of lung cancer disappears. A long time ago, Otto Raabe has clearly 
establish that dose rate (for alpha radiation) is the important parameter 
for cancer induction.  Weak exceptions to the apparent absence of thresholds 
may be found for short-lived alpha emitters, but they are far from certain 
(Nekolla, above).

G. Monchaux, J-P. Morlier, S. Altmeyer, M. Debroche and M. Morin,  Influence 
of exposure rate on lung cancer induction in rats exposed to 222Rn D.P. 
Radiat Res 152:S137-S140 (1999).

Philippe Duport

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wesley" <wesvanpelt at verizon.net>
To: "'Otto Raabe'" <ograabe at ucdavis.edu>; "'RADSAFE'" <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 10:05 AM
Subject: [ RadSafe ] RE: Radon and Lung Cancer

> Dear Otto,
>
>
>
> Let me now address the more difficult issue of causation. That is, given 
> the
> decrease in county level average lung cancer with both altitude and county
> average radon concentration, what is the cause?  It is not enough to just
> conclude from Cohen's work that LNT does not work. The lung cancer rate
> differences by county must be caused by something. (Epidemiologists might
> argue with this statement.)  I believe you and Prof. Cohen would have to
> conclude that increased radon somehow reduces the lung cancer rate. How?
> Presumably the radiation from radon stimulates the immune system to fight
> off the lung cancer. (Sorry for the broad brush radiobiology here!)
> However, radon dose rate is primarily high LET alpha radiation. Everything 
> I
> know about radiation hormesis indicates low LET and low dose rate 
> radiation
> is effective in stimulating the immune system. Are you saying that high 
> LET
> alpha dose has a net hormetic effect for lung cancer?  On the other hand,
> oxygen tension, for reasons detailed in my paper, is a plausible 
> biological
> cause.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Wes
>
> Wesley R. Van Pelt, PhD, CIH, CHP
>
> <http://mysite.verizon.net/wesvanpelt/index.html> Wesley R. Van Pelt
> Associates, Inc.
>
>  _____
>
> From: Otto Raabe [mailto:ograabe at ucdavis.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 8:29 PM
> To: Wesley; 'RADSAFE'
> Cc: 'Bernard L. Cohen'
> Subject: Re: Radon and Lung Cancer
>
>
>
> At 08:36 AM 2/13/2007, Wesley wrote:
>
>
>
> I would like to remind you of my paper in Health Physics (October 2003):
> EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONS AMONG LUNG CANCER, RADON EXPOSURE AND 
> ELEVATION
> ABOVE SEA LEVEL - A REASSESSMENT OF COHEN'S COUNTY LEVEL RADON STUDY
>
> ****************************
> Dear Wes,
>
> I believe that the cellular oxygen tension is about the same no matter 
> what
> altitude you reside. If you grow up at high altitude you will develop 
> bigger
> more efficient lungs, If you move to a higher altitude you will have an
> increase in red-blood cell concentration. In any case, at the cellular 
> level
> there will be about the same biologically balanced oxygen tension. No
> radiation effects are expected.
>
> There is a general correlation between higher radon and altitude.  That is
> somewhat of a coincidence.  There is also an inverse correlation between
> latitude and oxygen concentration. A mathematical regression will treat
> decreased oxygen and increased radon as somewhat mathematically correlated
> even though they are not related, but decreased oxygen is not necessarily 
> a
> causative factor in this relationship. It is just a partial surrogate for
> increased radon.
>
> When Prof. Cohen evaluated just the former Confederate (southern) States
> where there are few high altitude Counties, he got the same inverse
> relationship as for the whole nation. Therefore, I concluded altitude is 
> not
> a directly important factor in the inverse radon -lung cancer 
> relationship.
>
> Otto
> **********************************************
> Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
> Center for Health & the Environment
> University of California
> One Shields Avenue
> Davis, CA 95616
> E-Mail: ograabe at ucdavis.edu
> Phone: (530) 752-7754   FAX: (530) 758-6140
> ***********************************************
>
> _______________________________________________
> You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list
>
> Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood 
> the RadSafe rules. These can be found at: 
> http://radlab.nl/radsafe/radsaferules.html
>
> For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings 
> visit: http://radlab.nl/radsafe/ 