Residential radon and lung cancer among never-smokers in Sweden.
In this study, we attempted to reduce existing uncertainty about the relative risk of lung cancer from residential radon exposure among never-smokers. Comprehensive measurements of domestic radon were performed for 258 never-smoking lung cancer cases and 487 never-smoking controls from five Swedish case-control studies. With additional never-smokers from a previous case-control study of lung cancer and residential radon exposure in Sweden, a total of 436 never-smoking lung cancer cases diagnosed in Sweden between 1980 and 1995 and 1,649 never-smoking controls were included. The relative risks (with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses) of lung cancer in relation to categories of time-weighted average domestic radon concentration during three decades, delimited by cutpoints at 50, 80, and 140 Bq m(-3), were 1.08 (0.8--1.5), 1.18 (0.9--1.6), and 1.44 (1.0--2.1), respectively, with average radon concentrations below 50 Bq m(-3) used as reference category and with adjustment for other risk factors. The data suggested that among never-smokers residential radon exposure may be more harmful for those exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. Overall, an excess relative risk of 10% per 100 Bq m(-3) average radon concentration was estimated, which is similar to the summary effect estimate for all subjects in the main residential radon studies to date.
Lagarde
F
F
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Axelsson
G
G
Damber
L
L
Mellander
H
H
Nyberg
F
F
Pershagen
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011886:Radon / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D011886:Radon