Enhancement of lung cancer by cigarette smoking in uranium and other miners
There are substantial animal and epidemiological data related to cigarette smoking and lung cancer among miners exposed to elevated levels of radon daughters that appears to be in disagreement. An hypothesis is advanced that explains most of this disagreement as being derived from temporal differences of cancer expression. The hypothesis is that a given radiation exposure induced a finite number of lung cancers, which have shorter latent periods due to the cancer promotion activity of smoke among cigarette smokers. According to this hypothesis, the life-shortening effect is greater among smoking miners than nonsmoking miners, and the ultimate number of lung cancers among smoking miners will be only a little larger than among nonsmokers. The greater number will derive from the additive effect of radiation and smoking, plus the greater force of competing causes of death among elderly nonsmokers.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City
- OSTI ID:
- 5147336
- Journal Information:
- Carcinog. Compr. Surv.; (United States), Journal Name: Carcinog. Compr. Surv.; (United States); ISSN CCSUD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDES
AEROSOLS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
CARCINOGENESIS
COLLOIDS
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
LUNGS
MAMMALS
METALS
MICE
MINING
NEOPLASMS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
ORGANS
PATHOGENESIS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RATS
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SMOKES
SOLS
SYNERGISM
TOBACCO SMOKES
URANIUM
VERTEBRATES