The bystander effect in experimental systems and compatibility with radon-induced lung cancer in humans

Bystander effects following exposure to alpha-particles have been observed in C3H 10T1/2 cells and in other experimental systems, and imply that linearly extrapolating low-dose risks from high-dose data might materially underestimate risk. The ratio of lung cancer risk among persons exposed to low and high doses of radon daughters is 2.4-4.0, with an upper 95% confidence limit (CL) of about 14. Assuming that the bystander effect observed in the C3H 10T 1/2 data applies to human lung cells in vivo, the epidemiological data imply that the number of neighbouring cells that can contribute to the bystander effect is between 0 and 1, with an upper 95% CL of about 7. As a consequence, the bystander effect observed in the C3H 10T1/2 system probably does not play a large part in the process of radon-induced lung carcinogenesis in humans. Other experimental data relating to the bystander effect after alpha-particle exposure are surveyed; some of these data are more compatible with the epidemiological data.