Radon and Risk of Extrapulmonary Cancers
Author Information
Author(s): Kreuzer M, Walsh L, Schnelzer M, Tschense A, Grosche B
Primary Institution: Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Department of Radiation Protection and Health, Neuherberg, Germany
Hypothesis
Does radon in ambient air cause cancers other than lung cancer?
Conclusion
The study provides some evidence of increased risk of extrapulmonary cancers associated with radon, but chance and confounding cannot be ruled out.
Supporting Evidence
- Statistically significant increases in mortality were recorded for cancers of the stomach and liver.
- A significant deficit of cancers of the tongue, mouth, salivary gland and pharynx combined was observed.
- Most cancer sites showed positive exposure–response relationships, but these were insignificant after adjustment for potential confounders.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether radon exposure from uranium mining can cause cancers other than lung cancer. It found some evidence that it might, but there are still many uncertainties.
Methodology
Data from the German miners' cohort study were analyzed using internal Poisson regression to estimate the excess relative risk per unit of cumulative exposure to radon.
Potential Biases
Confounding from other factors such as alcohol consumption cannot be ruled out.
Limitations
Potential confounding factors such as alcohol consumption and smoking were not fully accounted for, and there was exposure misclassification in early years.
Participant Demographics
The cohort includes 58,987 men who were employed for at least 6 months from 1946 to 1989 at the former Wismut uranium mining company in Eastern Germany.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.014
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 0.006–0.023%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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