[ RadSafe ] ODP: Residential radon and lung cancer suppression

[Dobrzynski Ludwik]

Dear Bobby,
Thanks for this mail. We have submitted more than 6 months ago a paper on radon problem to Health Physics. It seems that after some minor corrections the paper will be finally published. In short, it shows that basing on present data there is no reason to apply any linear dose-effect relationship up to the radon concentration 150 Bq/m3.
With the best regards,
Ludwik

________________________________

Od: Scott, Bobby [mailto:BScott at lrri.org]
Wysłano: N 2010-12-26 22:11
Do: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
DW: Thompson, Richard; Bernard L. Cohen; Jerry Cuttler; Dobrzynski Ludwik
Temat: Residential radon and lung cancer suppression



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