title: Radon carcinogenesis: risk data and cellular hits.
abstract: Abundant epidemiological data are now available (2008) on the human lung cancer response for lifetime radon gas exposure to residential concentrations of 100 Bq m(-3), equal to 22 working level months over 40 y. We combined published pooled epidemiological data and dosimetric calculations of alpha particle hits to target basal or mucous cell nuclei in bronchial epithelium. This yields an estimate that about 10,000 basal nuclei (target) cell hits per cm2 per person over a lifetime are involved in radon-related lung cancer. The DNA target cell area (cross section) for a hit is about 2 bp. The present epidemiology indicates that 1000 persons need to be exposed to this hit rate for observable cancers to be detected. The mechanism proposed is that the extensive prior DNA damage in smokers, followed by alpha particle damage to a critical site in checkpoint genes, accounts for the greater lung cancer response in smokers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA. naomi.harley@med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Naomi H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Harley
authors.forename: Passaporn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chittaporn
authors.forename: Maire S A
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Heikkinen
authors.forename: Owen A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Meyers
authors.forename: Edith S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Robbins
mesh_terms: D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011886:Radon / Q000032:analysis*; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000528:radiation effects*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D011886:Radon