[ RadSafe ] Residential Lung Cancer Study

[Tom Mohaupt]

I've finally gotten a copy of the Residential Radon and Risk of Lung 
Cancer article form Epidemiology (Vol. 16, no. 2, March 2005, pag. 137)
Table 2 has radon concentration ranges, number of cases and controls in 
each range, and calculated odds ratios stratified by sex, age, duration 
of smoking, number of cigarettes smoked per day, number of residences, 
and years with alpha-track measurements in the exposure time window.
Here's a summary Table 2, plus my calculation of simple ratios between 
the cases and controls
[(n/3662)/(N/4966)]:
Radon Conc.      No. of Cases          No. of Controls            Odds 
Ratio               Simple Ratio
(Bq/m^3)              (n = 3662)             (N = 4966)                    
<25                          832                       934               
               1.0                          1.21
25-49                      1021                     1432                 
            1.13                        0.967
50-74                       669                       1052               
             1.09                        0.862
75-99                      349                       501                 
               1.16                       0.945
100-149                  450                       569                   
             1.24                       1.07
150-199                  163                       228                 
               1.22                       0.969
 >= 200                     178                       250               
                1.37                       0.966

It looks to me that "sex, age, duration of smoking, number of cigarettes 
smoked per day, number of residences, and years with alpha-track 
measurements in the exposure time window" have a significant impact on 
the data, perhaps more so than radon.
Also, 50% of the cases lived where the radon concentration was less than 
50 Bq/m^3.
and  78% of the cases lived where the radon concentration was less than 
100 Bq/m^3.
and   90.7% of the cases lived where the radon concentration was less 
than 150 Bq/m^3 (this is the EPA action level).
Interesting.
Have a good weekend.
Tom


-- 
Thomas Mohaupt, M.S., CHP
Radiation Safety Officer
Wright State University
937-775-2169
tom.mohaupt at wright.edu