Use of threshold-specific energy model for the prediction of effects of smoking and radon exposure on the risk of lung cancer

Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Smoking causes 80-90% of cases of lung cancer. In this study, an attempt was made to assess the impact of cigarette smoking on the risk of lung cancer by the so-called threshold-specific energy model. This model allows to analyse the biological effects of radon daughter products on the lung tissue, and is based on the assumption that the biological effect (i.e. cell inactivation) will manifest itself after the threshold-specific energy z0 deposited in the sensitive volume of the cell is exceeded. Cigarette smoking causes, among others, an increase in the synthesis of the survivin protein that protects cells from apoptosis and thereby reduces their radiosensitivity. Based on these facts, an attempt was made to estimate the shape of the curves describing the increase in the oncological effect of radiation as a function of daily cigarette consumption.

Residential Radon Exposure and Cigarette Smoking in Association with Lung Cancer: A Matched Case-Control Study in Korea

“…Epidemiologic evidence of interactions between radon exposure and cigarette smoking and their effects on lung cancer has been described in a number of studies [10,32,33]. However, many of these studies included persons exposed to a high doses of radon, such as those face by uranium miners [34][35][36] Considering the non-linear dose-response relationship between radon and lung cancer, the modifying effect of low-dose radon on the smoking-lung cancer relationship may not be extrapolated from uranium miner results.…”

“…Of these, exposure to radon indoors has garnered greater interest as a risk factor for lung cancer, as radon is a colorless and odorless gas that is ubiquitous in rocks and soils and, thus, can accumulate in buildings [5]. The association between radon exposure and lung cancer has been widely reported [6][7][8] and the combined effect of radon and tobacco smoke is thought to be higher than additive [9,10]. However, studies on the combined effect of radon and smoking on lung cancer have primarily focused on exposure to radon at high concentration sites, such as uranium mines [11][12][13].…”

Residential Radon Exposure and Cigarette Smoking in Association with Lung Cancer: a Matched Case-control Study in Korea

“…Epidemiologic evidence of interactions between radon exposure and cigarette smoking and their effects on lung cancer has been described in a number of studies [9,26,27]. However, many of these studies included persons exposed to a high doses of radon, such as those face by uranium miners [28][29][30].…”

“…and, thus, can accumulate in buildings [5]. The association between radon exposure and lung cancer has been widely reported [6][7][8], and the combined effect of radon and tobacco smoke is thought to be higher than additive [9,10]. However, studies on the combined effect of radon and smoking on lung cancer have primarily focused on exposure to radon at high concentration sites, such as uranium mines [11][12][13].…”

Radon as a Tracer of Lung Changes Induced by Smoking

“…First, for a smoker with a given daily cigarette consumption and duration of smoking τ, using an epidemiological model, we calculated the increase in lung cancer incidence if this smoker was exposed to radon and its daughter products. Subsequently, using the microdosimetric boundary‐specific energy model (Böhm, Sedlák, Bulko, & Holý, ; Sedlák, ), we calculated the dose in the lung tissue that would cause such an increase in lung cancer incidence. In other words, the biological effect of radon served as a tracer of changes induced by smoking.…”