Lung Cancer Risk Cut by 60% with Exposure to Low Levels of Radon Gas

You’ve probably heard the dangers of radon gas, and maybe even have a “radon detector” somewhere in your home. For years the experts have warned about this deadly gas. But could there actually be a benefit to radon exposure? Apparently, yes. Scientists now say that exposure to low-levels of radon gas may cut lung cancer risk by almost 60 percent. Let’s take a deeper look at the possible benefit of what was previously believed to be a silent killer.

You’ve probably heard the dangers of radon gas, and maybe even have a “radon detector” somewhere in your home – especially if your house has a basement. I grew up in houses with basements, and radon gas – although not necessarily a threat in our house – always weighed heavily on my mind. And why shouldn’t it? For years the experts have warned the public about this deadly gas. But could there actually be a benefit to radon exposure? Is that even possible?

Apparently it is.

Scientists now say that the exposure to low-levels of radon gas, which usually infiltrates out of the ground and into basements, may cut lung cancer risk by almost 60 percent.  Wow – 60 percent? That’s a lot! Definitely something worth looking into.

So, let’s do just that and take a deeper look at the possible benefit of what was previously believed to be a silent killer.

The study: Link between residential radon exposure and lung cancer.

The findings were based on a study conducted by experts at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Fallon Clinic, and Fallon Community Health Plan – all in Massachusetts.

Donald F. Nelson, Emeritus professor of Physics at WPI, led and managed this study in the midst of increasing concern of the possible link between residential radon exposure and lung cancer. The purpose of the study was to figure out at what level radon exposure actually became a significant risk for lung cancer. He wanted to establish a “safety zone” for home radon levels.

The study involved 600 Massachusetts homes, which were the same kinds of homes as what about 90% of the American population own.  At the end of the study, researchers stated that the levels of exposure in these homes appeared to actually reduce the risk of lung cancer.  These findings differ from previous studies that showed the effects of low-level radon exposure detected an elevated lung cancer risk or no risk at all.

This is significant as radon exposure has been thought to be the second leading cause of lung cancer (the first being cigarette smoking). 
 
For the first time, during this study, researchers found a significant hormetic effect of low-level radon exposure (a hormetic effect is the term for generally-favorable biological response to low exposures to toxins and other stressors).

Joel H. Popkin of Fallon Clinic and St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester was also involved in this study with Nelson and said: “We were certainly not looking for a hormetic effect.  Indeed, we were stunned when the data pointed to that conclusion in such a strong way.”

The research team installed radon monitors in areas of the homes where people spent most of their time awake, where their present and former bedrooms were, and in areas where people spent only an hour per week. 

The people being tested were obtained by weighing the measurements according to the time that was usually spent near each detector.  The results were adjusted to account for how their home use changed with changing lifestyles.  An example would be transitioning from full-time employment to retirement.

This study has shown to be an improvement over past studies.  However, Nelson cautions that these findings do not suggest that even higher levels of radon are safe. 

"It is important to note that these new results do not dispute the lung cancer risk associated with higher levels of radon exposure experienced by uranium miners. Nevertheless, the results represent a dramatic departure from previous results and beliefs. Of course, a single epidemiological study is seldom regarded as definitive, so our results point to the need for new studies using our techniques,” Neslon said.

Isn’t it amazing how as the years progress, and more studies are done, how many more lives might be saved because of those studies? Can you imagine a world without cancer? Wow, wouldn’t that be something! Maybe someday that world will exist. In the meantime, studies such as these can help work towards such an existence.