[ RadSafe ] Residential radon and lung cancer suppression

[Scott, Bobby]

Hi all:

 

I thought some of you may like to know about the following paper:

 

Thompson RE. Epidemiological evidence for possible radiation hormesis
from radon exposure: A case-control study conducted in Worcester, MA.
Dose-Response (prepress version).

 

The paper by Dr. Richard Thompson of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health relates to a case-control study of lung cancer and
residential radon exposure conducted in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
Lung cancer risk (inferred from odds ratio) was estimated using
different conditional logistic regression models that controlled for
demographic, smoking, and occupational exposure covariates. An initial
analysis using lowess smoothing of the response variable revealed a
non-linear hormetic-type association between the log odds of lung cancer
and radon exposure in the home. Results from application of several
models that allow for a hormetic-type dose response implicated a
possible > 2-fold increase in lung cancer risk for residing in a
radon-free home as compared to the current level of radon for up to 250
Bq/cubic meter. Depending on the model used, the increase in lung cancer
risk with radon elimination could be > 3 fold.  Radon levels
significantly > 250 Bq/cubic meter were implicated as increasing lung
cancer risk.  Smoking was strongly associated with lung cancer. Only 15
out of 200 lung cancer cases in the study were never smokers. 

 

Best wishes,

Bobby R. Scott

Senior Scientist

Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute

2425 Ridgecrest Drive SE

Albuquerque, NM 87108 USA