The iowa radon lung cancer study phase i: residential radon gas exposure and lung cancer

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R. William Field1, Daniel J. Steck2, Brian J. Smith1, Christine P. Brus1, Eileen F. Fisher1, John S.
case-control studies, dose-response relationship (radiation), epidemiologic methods, epidemiologic studies, lung neoplasms, women’s health, radon, smoking
Year:
1999
Bibliographic info:
Radon in the Living Environment, 1999, Athens, Greece

Exposure to high concentrations of radon (222Rn) progeny produces lung cancer in both undergroundminers and experimentally exposed laboratory animals. The goal of the study was to determinewhether or not residential radon exposure exhibits a statistically significant association with lungcancer in a state with high residential radon concentrations.A population-based, case-control epidemiologic study was conducted examining the relationshipbetween residential radon gas exposure and lung cancer in Iowa females who occupied their currenthome for at least 20 years. The study included 413 incident lung cancer cases and 614 age-frequencymatchedcontrols. Participant information was obtained by a mailed-out questionnaire with face-tofacefollow-up. Radon dosimetry assessment consisted of five components: 1) on-site residentialassessment survey, 2) on-site radon measurements, 3) regional outdoor radon measurements, 4)assessment of subjects exposure when in another building, and 5) linkage of historic subject mobilitywith residential, outdoor, and other building radon concentrations. Histologic review was performedfor 96% of the cases.Approximately 60% of the basement radon concentrations and 30% of the first floor radonconcentrations of study participants homes exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyaction level of 150 Bq m-3 (4 pCi/L). Large areas of western Iowa had outdoor radon concentrationscomparable to the national average indoor value of 55 Bq m-3 (1.5 pCi/L).Excess odds of 0.24 (95% CI = -0.05 0.92) and 0.49 (95% CI = 0.03 1.84) per 11 WLM5-19 werecalculated using the continuous radon exposure estimates for all cases and live cases, respectively.Slightly higher excess odds of 0.50 (95% CI = 0.004 1.80) and 0.83 (CI = 0.11 3.34) per 11WLM5-19 were noted for the categorical radon exposure estimates for all cases and the live cases.A positive association between cumulative radon gas exposure and lung cancer was demonstratedusing both categorical and continuous analyses. The risk estimates obtained in this study indicate thatcumulative radon exposure presents an important environmental health hazard

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