[ RadSafe ] Residential Lung Cancer Study

[John Jacobus]

I assume that the number of alpha tracts correlates
with the radon concentrations.  Does it?

--- Tom Mohaupt <tom.mohaupt at wright.edu> wrote:

> 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
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> You are currently subscribed to the radsafe mailing
> list
> radsafe at radlab.nl
> 
> For information on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and
> other settings visit: 
> http://radlab.nl/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/radsafe
> 


=====
+++++++++++++++++++
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy
enough people to make it worth the effort." Herm Albright

-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail:  crispy_bird at yahoo.com


	
		
__________________________________ 
Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday! 
Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web 
http://birthday.yahoo.com/netrospective/