Relation of radon exposure and tobacco use to lung cancer among tin miners in Yunnan Province, China

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.4700160504· OSTI ID:5044260

Qiao, Y L; Taylor, P R; Yao, S X; Schatzkin, A; Mao, B L; Lubin, J; Rao, J Y; McAdams, M; Xuan, X Z; Li, J Y ^[1]

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1. Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing (China)

We studied the relation of radon exposure and tobacco use to lung cancer among tin miners in Yunnan Province in the People's Republic of China. Interviews were conducted in 1985 with 107 living tin miners with lung cancer and an equal number of age-matched controls from among tin miners without lung cancer to obtain information on lung cancer risk factors including a detailed history of employment and tobacco use. Occupational history was combined with extensive industrial hygiene data to estimate cumulative working level months (WLM) of radon daughter exposure. Similar data were also used to estimate arsenic exposure for control in the analysis. Results indicate an increased risk of lung cancer for water pipe smoking, a traditional form of tobacco use practiced in 91% of cases and 85% of controls. The use of water pipes was associated with a twofold elevation in risk when compared with tobacco abstainers, and a dose-response relation was observed with increasing categories of pipe-year (dose times duration) usage. Estimated WLM of radon exposure varied from 0 to 1,761 among subjects but averaged 515 in cases versus only 244 in controls. Analyses indicated that the persons in the highest quarter of the radon exposure distribution had an odds ratio (OR) = 9.5 (95% confidence interval = 2.7-33.1) compared to persons without radon exposure after controlling for arsenic exposure and other potential confounders. Examination of duration and rate of radon exposure indicated higher risk associated with long duration as opposed to high rate of exposure. Cross-categorizations of radon exposure and tobacco use suggest greater risk associated with radon exposure than tobacco in these workers.

• OSTI ID: 5044260
• Journal Information: American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (USA), Journal Name: American Journal of Industrial Medicine; (USA) Vol. 16:5; ISSN 0271-3586; ISSN AJIMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560161* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROSOLS
ARSENIC
ASIA
BODY
CARCINOGENESIS
CHINA
COLLOIDS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ELEMENTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
FLUIDS
GASES
LUNGS
METALS
MINING
NEOPLASMS
NONMETALS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
PERSONNEL
RADIOINDUCTION
RADON
RARE GASES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RISK ASSESSMENT
SEMIMETALS
SMOKES
SOLS
TIN
TOBACCO SMOKES