Re: Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study

[Tom Mohaupt <tom.mohaupt@wright.edu>]

Bill,

In addition to Otto's comments, I was surprised that your study did not
account for pulmonary medical history as a confounding factor. Were there
any other statistically significant factors other than smoking and radon?
What percentage of cases were nonsmokers, with and without living with
someone who smokes?

Tom

"Otto G. Raabe" wrote:
> 
> May 28, 2000
> Davis, CA
> 
> Dear Bill:
> 
> Your new radon study is obviously important. I read the short summary on
> the web site. I have a few questions.
> 
> (1) "Adjusted for smoking" does not seem to be equivalent to "controlled
> for smoking". Since almost all lung cancer is caused by exposure to tobacco
> smoke, matched controls should have as close as possible similar smoking
> and environmental tobacco smoke histories in order to be able to detect the
> potential impact of radon exposure if any. Otherwise, cross-level
> confounding can effect the results. Was there a pairing of each lung cancer
> case with a non-cancer control who had a very similar lifetime tobacco
> smoke exposure history? What was the result of this comparison?
> 
> (2) I was surprised to learn from your short summary that Iowa has the
> highest radon levels in homes of any State. Denver residents are exposed to
> over four times the national average. What is the average annual dose to
> the respiratory bronchial epithelium for persons in your study?
> 
> Thanks...
> 
> Otto
> 
>         *****************************************************
>         Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
>         Institute of Toxicology & Environmental Health (ITEH)
>         (Street Address: Bldg. 3792, Old Davis Road)
>         University of California, Davis, CA 95616
>         E-Mail: ograabe@ucdavis.edu
>         Phone:(530) 752-7754, FAX:(530) 758-6140
>         *****************************************************
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-- 
Thomas Mohaupt, M.S., CHP
University Radiation Safety Officer

104 Health Sciences Bldg
Wright State University
Dayton, Ohio 45435
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information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html