Drittmittelprojekt: Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften
Kliniken/Institute:
Institut für Biometrie Epidemiologie und Informationsverarbeitung
Projektdetails:
The objective of the project was to investigate the association between residential radon exposure and lung cancer by a combined analysis of data from 13 case-control studies in nine countries, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland (2 studies), France, Germany (2 studies), Italy, Spain, Sweden (3 studies), and the United Kingdom. Individual data from all these studies were assembled in a uniform structure and included in the collaborative analysis. Data were available for a total of 7,148 subjects with lung cancer and about 14,208 subjects without lung cancer (controls). Residential radon exposure was assessed using long-term air monitors that measured the current radon concentration of air in homes where study subjects have lived during the period of 5 to 34 years prior to the diagnosis of the relevant lung cancer case. Lung cancer risk was examined in relation to radon in homes and personal characteristics such as smoking history (including passive smoking), age, sex, and area of residence. Uncertainties in indoor radon measurements were also taken account.
The risk of lung cancer increased by 8% (95% confidence interval 3% to 16%) per 100 Bq/m3 increase in measured radon (P=0.0007). This corresponds to an increase of 16% (5% to 31%) per 100 Bq/m3 after adjustment for measurement errors in radon concentrations (usual radon concentration). There was a significant evidence of an increased lung cancer risk below current recommended action levels used in most European countries (200 Bq/m3). There was no apparent heterogeneity in the association by age, sex and smoking. The effect of radon on the relative risk amounted to about the same level in smokers and non-smokers. However, because smokers are already at a higher risk for lung cancer, the risks from radon are higher for smokers than for non-smokers. The cumulative absolute risk of lung cancer at the age of 75 years at usual radon concentration of 0, 100, and 400 Bq/m3 would be about 0.4%, 0.5%, and 0.7% respectively, for lifelong non-smokers, and about 25 times greater (10%, 12%, and 16%) for cigarette smokers. The results indicate that radon in homes is responsible for about 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the EU each year. As a first calculation this is about 9% of the total lung cancer deaths in the EU and about 2% of cancer deaths overall.
Kooperationspartner:
- Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Oxford, Großbritannien
- National Radiation Protection Board, Chilton-Didcot, Großbritannien
- Rijksuniversiteit Gent, Belgien
- Commissariat à lEnergie Atomique, Fontenay-Aux-Roses, Frankreich
- Institut für Epidemiologie, GSF-Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit
- Tumorregister des Landes Tirol, Innsbruck, Österreich
