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

[Steven Dapra]

March 2

         To answer my own uncertainty, "In the United States, smoking 
is estimated to account for 87% of lung cancer cases (90% in men and 
85% in women)."

         Eighty seven percent of 450,000 is 391,500 lung cancer 
deaths per year from smoking.

         The estimate quote is from Wikipedia and is sourced (fn. 23).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung_cancer#cite_note-Samet2-22

Steven Dapra


At 09:53 PM 3/2/2012, you wrote:
>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