The Impact of Declining Smoking on Radon-Related Lung Cancer in the United States

Bibliographic Data

ID11027337
AuthorsDavid Méndez (0000-0002-0294-5484, University of Michigan), Omar Alshanqeety, Kenneth E Warner (0000-0002-8214-1776), Paula M Lantz, Paul N Courant
Year2011
Volume101
Issue2
Pages310-314
Publication date2011-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2009.189225
PMID21228294
PMCIDPMC3020207
OpenAlexW2015400580
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited4

Objectives. We examined the effect of current patterns of smoking rates on future radon-related lung cancer. Methods. We combined the model developed by the National Academy of Science's Committee on Health Risks of Exposure to Radon (the BEIR VI committee) for radon risk assessment with a forecasting model of US adult smoking prevalence to estimate proportional decline in radon-related deaths during the present century with and without mitigation of high-radon houses. Results. By 2025, the reduction in radon mortality from smoking reduction (15 percentage points) will surpass the maximum expected reduction from remediation (12 percentage points). Conclusions. Although still a genuine source of public health concern, radon-induced lung cancer is likely to decline substantially, driven by reductions in smoking rates. Smoking decline will reduce radon deaths more that remediation of high-radon houses, a fact that policymakers should consider as they contemplate the future of cancer control

Cigarette smoking · Environmental health · Lung cancer · Pathology · Public health · Radon · Radon exposure · Demography · Effects of Radiation Exposure · Medicine · Oncology · Radioactive contamination and transfer · Radioactivity and Radon Measurements

Tools

Open DOISci-HubOpen Access