Darby S, Hill D, Doll R
Clinical Trial Service Unit, University of Oxford, UK.
Ann Oncol. 2001 Oct;12(10):1341-51. doi: 10.1023/a:1012518223463.
Radon is a well-established lung carcinogen that has been extensively studied. Very high concentrations can occur in some underground mines. Concentrations also tend to build up in homes.
Epidemiological studies of radon-exposed miners and of residential radon and lung cancer are reviewed. Quantitative estimates of the risk of lung cancer, based on the experience of the miners, are applied to residential radon exposures in the United Kingdom. Strategies for the prevention of lung cancer induced by residential radon are discussed.
Estimates are uncertain, but residential radon is probably responsible for about 2000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United Kingdom, or around 6% of the total, making it the second biggest cause after smoking. Over 80% of the deaths are estimated to occur at ages less than 75 and over 80% in smokers or ex-smokers. Around 90% of radoninduced deaths in the United Kingdom probably occur as a result of exposures to radon concentrations below the currently recommended action level of 200 Bq m(-3).
Further work is needed to obtain more reliable estimates of the risk of lung cancer associated with residential radon and on the cost-effectiveness of various intervention strategies before the most appropriate policies can be developed for managing exposure to this natural carcinogen.
氡是一种已被充分证实的肺癌致癌物，且已得到广泛研究。在一些地下矿井中可能会出现极高的浓度。在家庭中浓度也往往会积聚。
综述了对接触氡的矿工以及住宅氡与肺癌的流行病学研究。基于矿工的经验，对肺癌风险进行了定量估计，并应用于英国住宅氡暴露情况。讨论了预防住宅氡诱发肺癌的策略。
估计结果并不确定，但在英国，住宅氡可能每年导致约2000例肺癌死亡，约占总数的6%，使其成为仅次于吸烟的第二大病因。估计超过80%的死亡发生在75岁以下，超过80%发生在吸烟者或曾经吸烟者中。在英国，约90%的氡诱发死亡可能是由于接触的氡浓度低于目前推荐的行动水平200贝克勒尔/立方米所致。
在制定出管理这种天然致癌物暴露的最适当政策之前，需要开展进一步工作，以获得与住宅氡相关肺癌风险的更可靠估计值，并了解各种干预策略的成本效益。
