The First Attempt to Reevaluate Radon and Thoron Exposure in Gansu Province Study Using Radon-Thoron Discriminating Measurement Technique

Although the epidemiological studies provide evidence for an increased risk of lung cancer risk associated with residential radon, an issue of radon-thoron discrimination remains to be solved. In this study, an updated evaluation of lung cancer risk among the residents in Gansu, China was performed where one of the major epidemiological studies on indoor radon demonstrated an increased risk of lung cancer. We analyzed data from a hospital-based case-control study that included 30 lung cancer cases and 39 controls with special attention to internal exposure assessment based on the discriminative measurement technique of radon isotopes. Results from the analyses showed non-significant increased lung cancer risks; odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for age, smoking, and total income were 0.35 (95% CI: 0.07–1.74) and 0.27 (95% CI: 0.04–1.74) for groups living in residences with indoor radon concentrations of 50–100 Bq m−3 and over 100 Bq m−3, respectively, compared with those with < 50 Bq m−3 indoor radon concentrations. Although the small sample size hampers the usefulness of present analyses, our study suggests that reevaluation of lung cancer risk associated with residential radon in the epidemiological studies will be required on the basis of precise exposure assessment.