[ RadSafe ] Diesel exhaust and underground mining vs other factorsfor lung cancer

[Steven Dapra]

March 2

         The dispute is not over whether or not radon causes 
cancer.  The dispute is over how much cancer is caused by radon.  The 
EPA estimated (in 2003) that radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer 
deaths per year.  This estimate was based on BEIR VI.

http://www.epa.gov/radon/risk_assessment.html

         The annual death toll from cigarette smoking is around 
450,000.  (How much of that is lung cancers I do not know.)

         I am eagerly awaiting the JNCI paper, which will be 
available on the afternoon of Monday, March 5.

Steven Dapra



At 03:15 PM 3/2/2012, you wrote:
>Hi, Patricia.
>
>I think you are overselling that part of a sentence.  While I haven't
>seen the article, I suspect what they mean is that even when the other
>factors are controlled statistically, risk of dying of lung cancer
>increases as REC exposure increase.  This does not mean that researchers
>are saying that silica, asbestos, non-diesel exhaust-related polycyclic
>aromatic
>hydrocarbons, respirable dust, and radon do not cause cancer, but rather
>their results are not explained by those other cancer causing agents.
>
>If you did a little bit of research on your source, you would find that
>Journal of the National Cancer Institute, in which this paper will
>appear, has over 200 papers, articles, and editorials which mention
>radon (though most are not about radon), and a quick perusal shows
>almost all agree that radon can cause cancer, though there is discussion
>about the numbers.  The International Agency for Research on Cancer,
>cited as the agency that classified diesel exhaust as a probable
>carcinogen, also classifies radon as a carcinogen.
>
>I suspect that when you read this entire article, it will not in fact
>support your position.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
>[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of patricia lewis
>Sent: Friday, March 02, 2012 11:50 AM
>To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
>Cc: Edward Calabrese; patricia lewis; Jerry Cuttler; Doug Boreham; TD
>Luckey
>Subject: [ RadSafe ] Diesel exhaust and underground mining vs other
>factorsfor lung cancer
>
>http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/jotn-sse030212.php
>
>Studies show exposure to diesel exhaust may increase lung cancer
>mortality
>(all author contact info is within the article)
>
>SNIP: "The researchers found a statistically significantly increased
>risk
>of lung cancer with increasing REC exposure among underground workers.
>Some
>evidence of increased risk was also shown for longer-term workers above
>ground who were exposed to elevated levels of REC (Respirable Elemental
>Carbon - a surrogate of diesel exhaust exposure). Other workplace
>exposures
>such as silica, asbestos, non-diesel exhaust-related polycyclic aromatic
>hydrocarbons, respirable dust, and radon, had little or no effect on the
>findings."  Repeat: ".... and radon, had little or no effect on
>findings."
>
>--
>Pat Lewis
>http://www.radonmine.com