PROBABILITY OF CAUSATION FOR LUNG-CANCER AFTER EXPOSURE TO RADON PROGENY - A COMPARISON OF MODELS AND DATA

The estimates of lung cancer risk due to the exposure to radon decay p roducts are based on different data sets from underground mining and o n different mathematical models that are used to fit the data. Diagram s of the excess relative rate per 100 working level months in its depe ndence on age at exposure and age attained are shown to be a useful to ol to elucidate the influence that is due to the choice of the model, and to assess the differences between the data from the major western cohorts and those from the Czech uranium miners. It is seen that the i nfluence of the choice of the model is minor compared to the differenc e between the data sets. The results are used to derive attributable l ifetime risks- and probabilities of causation for lung cancer followin g radon progeny exposures.