RADON AS A RISK FACTOR FOR EXTRA-PULMONARY TUMORS

Exposure to radon in uranium and other mines is a well recognised risk factor for lung cancer. There is also increasing evidence of a risk o f lung cancer from indoor radon. An excess of stomach cancer has been observed in some mining populations but the role of radon is unclear. A few correlation studies and a case-control study have indicated that exposure to indoor radon could be of some importance as a cause of ot her tumours, especially acute myeloid leukaemia, melanoma and kidney c ancer. Also prostate cancer and some other cancer types have correlate d with estimated radon exposure but the relatively few studies are not quite consistent with each other. Nevertheless, the various observati ons of extra-pulmonary tumours associated with radon exposure may warr ant further studies, especially with regard to childhood exposure and cancers.