Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study

[EPIRAD@aol.com]

In a message dated 06/21/2000 1:08:58 PM Central Daylight Time, mdb7@cdc.gov 
writes:

<<  finally had a chance to read the full  "Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study" in
 the June issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology from a statistical
 and health physicist's perspective. In my opinion this is the best designed
 case control study for residential radon that I have read to date. The study
 design and methodology are probably the best one could hope for, measuring
 long-term radon levels in living spaces. The State of Iowa has the highest
 mean residential radon level and looking at homemakers with a minimum of 20
 years in the same home have the potential to find any link between
 residential radon and lung cancer risk. My concerns have nothing to do with
 the study design, but with the data analysis and interpretation. The study
 claims to demonstrate a STRONG statistical association between residential
 radon and lung cancer, based on a corrected odds ratio of 2.14 in the
 highest exposure group and excluding all cases that died during the study. >>
----------------------------------------
Mr. Brooks,

As lead author for the Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study, I respect your concerns 
and thank-you for taking the time to read the paper prior to criticizing our 
data analyses (which is part of the methodology) and interpretation of the 
data.  I do strongly disagree with many of the interpretations and assertions 
in your posting.  As part of the scientific process, I would welcome you 
addressing your concerns to the editor of the American Journal of 
Epidemiology.  If your letter is accepted for publication, the authors of the 
Iowa Study would be happy to respond to your concerns in that scientific 
forum.  If your letter is not accepted, I would be happy to respond to your 
concerns as time permits.

I have sent out copies of the Iowa findings paper to over 200 members of 
Radsafe.  The Iowa study probably has had more review from the Health Physics 
Community than any other residential radon epidemiology study.  For example, 
I wonder how many Radsafers know that the findings from a residential radon 
study performed in Missouri was published last year by NCI investigators in 
the American Journal of Public Health?

The Iowa findings have also been presented at numerous National and regional 
scientific meetings including National meetings of the American Statistical 
Association.  I welcome the dialogue this brings, but I am limited in the 
amount of time I have to follow-up on each emails I receive about the study.  
   

I thank Mr. Brooks for his kind words about the Iowa study's methodology.  

Regards, Bill Field


R. William Field, Ph.D.
College of Public Health
Department of Epidemiology
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health
N222 Oakdale Hall
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa  52242

319-335-4413 (phone)
319-335-4748 (fax)
mailto:bill-field@uiowa.edu 
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