title: Role of exposure to radon and silicosis on the cell type of lung carcinoma in German uranium miners.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In East Germany, uranium mining was undertaken on a large scale from 1946 to 1990. Poor working conditions led to a high level of exposure to ionizing radiation and quartz dust. This analysis evaluates the histopathology of lung carcinoma in uranium miners in relation to radon exposure and silicosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A database developed for autopsy cases ascertained in a pathological tissue repository of German uranium miners was used to estimate odds ratios for developing lung carcinoma by major cell type with regard to radon exposure and silicosis. Silicosis information was extracted from autopsy protocols. Working level months (WLM) were calculated with a job-exposure matrix to assess lifetime radon exposure. Risk estimates were based on 3414 male miners who died from small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC, n = 1446), squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC, n = 1006), or adenocarcinoma (AC, n = 962) between 1957 and 1990.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SCLC and SqCC seem more likely to be associated with high radon exposure than AC. Mean cumulative radon exposure was 868 (SD 631) WLM in SCLC, 871 (SD 652) WLM in SqCC, and 743 (SD 598) WLM in AC. Silicosis prevalence was 26% in SCLC, 38% in SqCC, and 30% in AC. In silicotics, AC and SqCC had a relatively higher frequency at the expense of SCLC. SCLC occurred earlier than AC and SqCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High radon exposure was associated with a higher relative frequency of SCLC and SqCC than AC. Silicosis tended to increase the appearance of SqCC and AC.
authors.affiliation: Berufsgenossenschaftliches Forschungsinstitut fur Arbeitsmedizin (BGFA), Institute of Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany. taeger@bgfa.de
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taeger
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fritsch
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiethege
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Johnen
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eisenmenger
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wesch
authors.forename: Yon
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stier
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Michael Muller
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bruning
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pesch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004391:Dust; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011791:Quartz; D011886:Radon / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012829:Silicosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D014501:Uranium
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D011791:Quartz; D014501:Uranium; D011886:Radon