RADON LEVELS, CIGARETTE SMOKING & CANCER

最近的调查表明，10%到20%的人 美国家庭的室内氡水平超过 环境保护局关于补救行动的指导标准。据估计， 室内的氡污染占肺部的5000到20000 每年死于癌症的人数。这一估计是从 对氡暴露非常高的矿工的研究；结果是 可能不能推广到一般人群。香烟 吸烟是肺癌的压倒性危险因素， 有证据表明，氡的影响可能是 吸烟者的比例更高。然而，可能的本质是 氡吸烟之间的相互作用还不够充分 量化的。此外，虽然大多数研究都集中在 肺癌风险，氡产生更广泛影响的可能性 不能排除暴露的可能性。因此，这种关系 居民累积氡暴露与癌症之间的关系 康涅狄格州将在一项基于人群的研究中探索风险 约400名非吸烟者和600名吸烟者患有肺病 癌症和相似数量的匹配比较对象 没有肺癌是通过随机人群筛查选择的。 通过全州范围的癌症确定的癌症事件 注册表将在3年内收集。详细 将获得住宅史和氡测量 将在过去的房屋中制作，以便估计累积 每个受试者的氡暴露。联合的和互动的 氡和香烟烟雾暴露对肺癌的影响 将对风险进行评估。在一项初步的同伴研究中， 累积的氡和本底伽马辐射暴露将 还可以确定大约125例儿童癌症病例 和250名健康对照。

Recent surveys indicate that between 10 and 20 percent of homes in the United States have indoor radon levels that exceed EPA's guideline level for remedial action. It has been estimated that indoor radon pollution accounts for 5,000 to 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year. This estimates is extrapolated from studies of miners with very high radon exposures; results which may not be generalizable to the population at large. Cigarette smoking is the overwhelming risk factor for lung cancer and there is evidence to suggest that effects from radon may be greater in smokers. However, the nature of the possible interaction between radon smoking has not been adequately quantified. Furthermore, while most studies have focused on lung cancer risk, the possibility of broader effects of radon exposure cannot be ruled out. Accordingly, the relationship between cumulative residential exposure to radon and cancer risk will be explored in Connecticut, in a population-based study of approximately 400 nonsmokers and 600 smokers with lung cancer and a similar number of matched comparison subjects without lung cancer chosen by random population screening. Incident cancer cases identified through a statwide cancer registry will be collected over a 3 year period. Detailed residential histories will be obtained and radon measurements will be made in past homes in order to estimate cumulative radon exposure for each subject. The joint and interactive effects of radon and cigarette smoke exposure on lung cancer risk will be evaluated. In a preliminary companion study, cumulative radon and background gamma radiation exposure will also be determined for approximately 125 childhood cancer cases and 250 healthy controls.