Grzywa-Celińska Anna, Krusiński Adam, Mazur Jadwiga, Szewczyk Katarzyna, Kozak Krzysztof
Chair and Department of Pneumonology, Oncology and Allergology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-342 Krakow, Poland.
Toxics. 2020 Dec 14;8(4):120. doi: 10.3390/toxics8040120.
Lung cancer is a heterogeneous group of diseases with multifactorial aetiology. Smoking has been undeniably recognized as the main aetiological factor in lung cancer, but it should be emphasized that it is not the only factor. It is worth noting that a number of nonsmokers also develop this disease. Radon exposure is the second greatest risk factor for lung cancer among smokers-after smoking-and the first one for nonsmokers. The knowledge about this element amongst specialist oncologists and pulmonologists seems to be very superficial. We discuss the impact of radon on human health, with particular emphasis on respiratory diseases, including lung cancer. A better understanding of the problem will increase the chance of reducing the impact of radon exposure on public health and may contribute to more effective prevention of a number of lung diseases.
肺癌是一组病因多因素的异质性疾病。吸烟已无可争议地被公认为肺癌的主要病因，但应强调的是，它并非唯一因素。值得注意的是，许多不吸烟者也会患上这种疾病。氡暴露是吸烟者中仅次于吸烟的第二大致肺癌风险因素，也是不吸烟者的首要风险因素。专科肿瘤学家和肺科医生对这一因素的了解似乎非常肤浅。我们讨论氡对人类健康的影响，尤其着重于包括肺癌在内的呼吸道疾病。对该问题的更好理解将增加降低氡暴露对公众健康影响的机会，并可能有助于更有效地预防多种肺部疾病。
