Re: Radon - recent articles supporting risk at residentialexposures

[Ruth Sponsler <jk5554@YAHOO.COM>]

In a case-control study of individuals concerning lung

cancer, it would seem necessary to me to match cases

with controls by not only length of residence, but

also smoking history.   I really don't think that a

statistical correction should be used when one is

working with individuals.   A number of factors should

be controlled for, including also (off the top of my

head) age [as was done], race, work outside of home or

not, diet (Alavanja et al. 2001), education, income,

type of dwelling.



I agree with Dr. Weiner that there should have been a

control study performed in a low-radon region, also in

the Midwest (this to control for climate and some

socioeconomic factors).  



My other criticism of the Iowa study is that the

number of subjects is quite low.  I would be more

confident in the results had they used a few thousand

cases and controls, rather than 413 cases/614 controls

(Field et al. 2000).



Incidentally, many counties with very high lung cancer

rates can be found in low-radon regions, especially

along seacoasts.  Four examples that I remember are

Charleston Co., SC, Ventura County, Calif., Harrison

County, Miss. (Cohen 1989), and Duval Co,. Florida

(Blot et al. 1982).  These high-incidence locations

would be excellent places to study lung ca.

epidemiology vs. (coastal) counties with low(er)

incidence.    Voors et al. (1978) also noted high

incidence in wetland areas.



Tangentially, Cohen (1989) mentioned an unexplained

'coastal effect' in one of his earlier papers.  This

increased lung cancer in coastal areas came up again

in a recent study in Japan (Kawasaki et al. 2000). 

What's happening in populations in coastal areas? 

Cultural trend toward smoking along coasts?  Immune

suppression from excessive UV [sunbathing for hours at

a time]?  Different pattern of diet and/or alcohol

consumption?  Occupational exposures [asbestos?]? 

Seaspray?  Very low background radiation?  I don't

know.  Each one, and more, could be a hypothesis.  



~Ruth 2 aka Ruth Sponsler





Alavanja MC, Field RW, Sinha R, Brus CP, Shavers VL,

Fisher EL, Curtain J, Lynch CF.  2001.  Lung cancer

risk and red meat consumption among Iowa women.  Lung

Cancer. 34(1):37-46.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11557111&dopt=Abstract



Blot WJ, Davies JE, Brown LM, Nordwall CW, Buiatti E,

Ng A, Fraumeni JF Jr.  1982.  Occupation and the high

risk of lung cancer in Northeast Florida.  Cancer. 

50(2):364-371.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7083144&dopt=Abstract



Cohen BL.  1989.  Expected indoor 222Rn levels in

counties with very high and very low lung cancer

rates.  Health Phys. 57(6):897-907.





Field RW, Steck DJ, Smith BJ, Brus CP, Fisher EL,

Neuberger JS, Platz CE, Robinson RA,   Woolson RF,

Lynch CF.  2000.  Residential radon gas exposure and

lung cancer: the Iowa Radon Lung Cancer Study.

  Am J Epidemiol.  151(11):1091-1102.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10873134&dopt=Abstract



Kawasaki H, Satoh K, Nakayama T, Yamaguchi N, Ohtaki

M.  2000.  Statistical analysis of geographical

features of lung cancer mortality in Japan.  Jpn J

Clin Oncol.  30(12):557-561.



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11210166&dopt=Abstract





Voors AW, Johnson WD, Steele SH, Rothschild H.  1978. 

Relationship between respiratory cancer and wetlands

residency in Louisiana. Arch Environ Health. 1978

May-Jun;33(3):124-129.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=686835&dopt=Abstract

--- hflong@postoffice.pacbell.net wrote:

> John and radsafers,

> Field's "Rebuttal" included, " The participants'

> smoking histories do not need to match the smoking

> histories of the controls since the effect of

> smoking can be adjusted for using standard

> statistical methods."

> 

> This followed Klaus Beckers' statement in Topics

> Under Debate , p79,

>  Radiation Protection Dosimetry V95,#1

> pp75-81(2001), "Incidentally, it should be noted

> that in the Iowa Lung cancer Study by Field et al,

> 86% of the

> lung cancer cases were smokers, but only 32% of the

> controls."

> 

> So, "controls" were NOT matched. "Controls" had few

> smokers, vs cases..

> Who accepts this statistical "adjutment"- especially

> in the selected 1% location of a large mortality

> study where there was NOT less lung cancer with

> more radon?

> 

> Howard Long

> 

> John Williams wrote:

> 

> > Ruth,

> >

> > I agree that if you use ecologic data to try to

> examine radon risk

> > without individual data on smoking, that indeed is

> a fishing

> > expedition.  When Field examined Cohen's data he

> found a huge

> > p<0.000001 inverse relationship between the county

> smoking rates and

> > radon.  Run the analyses yourself.  If you do not

> correct for the

> > smoking duration, rate, cross level bias, you will

> be left with

> > residual confounding that will give you the

> impression radon is

> > extending lives when in fact what you are seeing

> is the lower county

> > smoking rates extending lives.  Because of the

> cross-level bias you

> > can not make decent adjustments at the aggregate

> level.

> >

> > Sent by Law  Mail

> >

>

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