Residential radon in Canada: an uncertainty analysis of population and individual lung cancer risk

Brand, KP; Zielinski, JM; Krewski, D

HERO ID

2348293

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2005

Language

English

PMID

15876202

HERO ID 2348293
In Press No
Year 2005
Title Residential radon in Canada: an uncertainty analysis of population and individual lung cancer risk
Authors Brand, KP; Zielinski, JM; Krewski, D
Journal Risk Analysis
Volume 25
Issue 2
Page Numbers 253-269
Abstract Following a comprehensive evaluation of the health risks of radon, the U.S. National Research Council (US-NRC) concluded that the radon inside the homes of U.S. residents is an important cause of lung cancer. To assess lung cancer risks associated with radon exposure in Canadian homes, we apply the new (US-NRC) techniques, tailoring assumptions to the Canadian context. A two-dimensional uncertainty analysis is used to provide both population-based (population attributable risk, PAR; excess lifetime risk ratio, ELRR; and life-years lost, LYL) and individual-based (ELRR and LYL) estimates. Our primary results obtained for the Canadian population reveal mean estimates for ELRR, PAR, and LYL are 0.08, 8%, and 0.10 years, respectively. Results are also available and stratified by smoking status (ever versus never). Conveniently, the three indices (ELRR, PAR, and LYL) reveal similar output uncertainty (geometric standard deviation, GSD approximately 1.3), and in the case of ELRR and LYL, comparable variability and uncertainty combined (GSD approximately 4.2). Simplifying relationships are identified between ELRR, LYL, PAR, and the age-specific excess rate ratio (ERR), which suggest a way to scale results from one population to another. This insight is applied in scaling our baseline results to obtain gender-specific estimates, as well as in simplifying and illuminating sensitivity analysis.
Doi 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2005.00587.x
Pmid 15876202
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English