Future initiatives to reduce lung cancer incidence in the United Kingdom: smoking cessation, radon remediation and the impact of social change

Abstract

Reduced smoking prevalence reduces the effectiveness of radon remediation programmes. This, coupled with limited uptake of radon remediation, suggests that radon remediation programmes should be targeted, and that an integrated public health policy for smoking and radon is appropriate. Lack of correlation between smoking prevalence and radon suggests that local assessment of relative priorities for public health strategies, such as the 'Total Place' initiative, is appropriate.

Small area mapping of domestic radon, smoking prevalence and lung cancer incidence – A case study in Northamptonshire, UK

“…This is comparable with the national analysis at PCT area level, using measured smoking prevalence data, by Denman et al (2014), (R ¼ À0.05, p ¼ 0.337). However, some adjacent postcode sectors appear in the list, such as NN17 1, 2 and 4 and OX17 2 and 3, suggesting that a targeted campaign could be planned to extend over a wider area.…”

“…There is therefore the potential for locally-targeted campaigns for radon, smoking or both. Denman et al (2014) carried out an assessment of the potential for such local campaigns at the level of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), 2 showing little correlation between smoking prevalence and radon potential at PCT level, which had similar areas to local authorities. They concluded, however, that improved radon mapping allows careful targeting of radon remediation programmes, which would be more cost-effective, that areas of moderate radon potential can have higher radon-induced lung cancers because of a higher than average smoking incidence, and that these conclusions support the need for local public health campaigns.…”

Radon, Secondhand Smoke, and Children in the Home: Creating a Teachable Moment for Lung Cancer Prevention

“…Even with this pervasive messaging, far too many nonsmokers, including children and adolescents, remain exposed to SHS in the home (Marano, Schober, Brody, & Zhang, ). Public health nurses can create TMs for lung cancer prevention through education about the risks posed by radon and SHS along with (1) promoting home testing (Hahn et al., ); (2) low‐cost resources to reduce risk (Larsson, ); and (3) radon and SHS messaging integrated into tobacco treatment programs (Denman et al., ; Lantz, Mendez, & Philbert, ). Creating TMs for lung cancer prevention, especially among those who are actively rearing children, will improve health equity and promote environmental justice for children, adolescents, and families.…”

“…Public Health Nursing Volume 33 Number 6 November/December 2016 reduce risk (Larsson, 2014); and (3) radon and SHS messaging integrated into tobacco treatment programs (Denman et al, 2015;Lantz, Mendez, & Philbert, 2013). Creating TMs for lung cancer prevention, especially among those who are actively rearing children, will improve health equity and promote environmental justice for children, adolescents, and families.…”

Better understanding of the health care costs of lung cancer and the implications

“…For example, smoking cessation models require this type of data, as do radon prevention models, which may even aim to optimize control of both regional radon emission and smoking behavior [7]. In the case of lung cancer, once it has developed, early detection is paramount to reduce mortality: patients at an operable stage of the disease have a substantially improved survival prognosis [8].…”