Predicting residential radon concentrations in Finland: Model development, validation, and application to childhood leukemia

Abstract

Indoor radon prediction models were created based on ~80 000 measurements and modern machine learning methods were used in modelling. The performance of the models was comparable to the previously published ones. We observed a non-significant risk of childhood leukemia from indoor radon. However, the modelling involves some uncertainties.Nikkilä A, Arvela H, Mehtonen J, Raitanen J, Heinäniemi M, Auvinen A. Predicting residential radon concentrations in Finland: Model development, validation, and application to childhood leukemia.Objectives Inhaled radon gas is a known alpha-emitting carcinogen linked especially to lung cancer. Studies on higher concentrations of indoor radon and childhood leukemia have conflicting but largely negative results. In this study, we aimed to create a sophisticated statistical model to predict indoor radon concentrations and apply it to a Finnish childhood leukemia case-control dataset.Methods Prediction was based on ~80 000 indoor radon measurements, which were linked to national registries for potential indoor radon predictors based on the literature. In modelling, we used classical methods, random forests and deep neural networks. We had 1093 cases and 3279 controls from a nationwide case-control study. We estimated odds ratio (OR) for childhood leukemia using conditional logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders. ResultsThe r 2 of the final log-linear model was 0.21 for houses and 0.20 for apartments. Using random forest method, we were able to obtain slightly better fit for both houses (r 2 = 0.28) and apartments (r 2 = 0.23). In a risk analysis based on the case-control data with log-linear model, we observed a non-significant (P=0.54) increase with predicted radon concentrations [OR for the 2 nd quartile 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77-1.50, OR 1.10 with 95% CI 0.79-1.53 for the 3 rd , and 1.29 with 95% CI 0.93-1.77 for the highest quartile].Conclusions Our modelling and the previously published models performed similarly but involves major uncertainties, and the results should be interpreted with caution. We observed a slight non-significant increase in risk of childhood leukemia related to higher average indoor radon concentrations.

A Retrospective Cohort Study of the Efficacy, Safety, and Clinical Value of 6-TG versus 6-MP Maintenance Therapy in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

“…The metabolism of drugs in red blood cells and white blood cells is different. Mature red blood cells have no purine synthesis pathway, mainly through an efficient remedial mechanism to metabolize purine precursors [ 30 ]. Meanwhile, the life cycle of red blood cells is longer compared to of white blood cells, so drug metabolites accumulate and cycle throughout the whole life cycle of red blood cells.…”

Relationships among Indoor Radon, Earthquake Magnitude Data and Lung Cancer Risks in a Residential Building of an Apulian Town (Southern Italy)

“…Effect modifications have been observed between some polymorphisms and residential radon, such as the one on chromosome 15q25.1, a well-known LC susceptibility region [19][20][21]. The incidence rates of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) among US states have been reported to be significantly correlated with the levels of residential radon (RR) [22]. Radon is the main cause of the onset of pulmonary neoplasia after cigarette smoking [23].…”

Summary of Radiation Research Society Online 66th Annual Meeting, Symposium on “Epidemiology: Updates on epidemiological low dose studies,” including discussion

“…These have been reviewed by Mazzei-Abba et al (Mazzei-Abba et al 2020). Since that review further studies have been published by Berlivet et al (Berlivet et al 2020) and Nikkilä et al (Nikkilä et al 2020). Results from these studies have been mixed.…”