Residential Radon and Small Cell Lung Cancer. Final Results of the Small Cell Study

Residential radon is considered the second cause of lung cancer and the first in never smokers. Nevertheless, there is little information regarding the association between elevated radon levels and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We aimed to assess the effect of residential radon exposure on the risk of SCLC in general population through a multicentric case-control study.

A multicentric hospital-based case-control study was designed including 9 hospitals from Spain and Portugal, mostly including radon-prone areas. Indoor radon was measured using Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors at the Galician Radon Laboratory.

A total of 375 cases and 902 controls were included, with 24.5% of cases being women. The median number of years living in the measured dwelling was higher than 25 years for both cases and controls. There was a statistically significant association for those exposed to concentrations higher than the EPA action level of 148Bq/m³, with an Odds Ratio of 2.08 (95%CI: 1.03-4.39) compared to those exposed to concentrations lower than 50Bq/m³. When using a dose-response model with 100Bq/m³ as a reference, it can be observed a linear effect for small cell lung cancer risk. Smokers exposed to higher radon concentrations pose a much higher risk of SCLC compared to smokers exposed to lower indoor radon concentrations.

Radon exposure seems to increase the risk of small cell lung cancer with a linear dose-response pattern. Tobacco consumption may also produce an important effect modification for radon exposure.