TY - JOUR AU - Yoon, Ji Young AU - Lee, Jung-Dong AU - Joo, So Won AU - Kang, Dae Ryong PY - 2016 DA - 2016/03/25 TI - Indoor radon exposure and lung cancer: a review of ecological studies JO - Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine SP - 15 VL - 28 IS - 1 AB - Lung cancer has high mortality and incidence rates. The leading causes of lung cancer are smoking and radon exposure. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) has categorized radon as a carcinogenic substance causing lung cancer. Radon is a natural, radioactive substance; it is an inert gas that mainly exists in soil or rock. The gas decays into radioactive particles called radon progeny that can enter the human body through breathing. Upon entering the body, these radioactive elements release α-rays that affect lung tissue, causing lung cancer upon long-term exposure thereto. Epidemiological studies first outlined a high correlation between the incidence rate of lung cancer and exposure to radon progeny among miners in Europe. Thereafter, data and research on radon exposure and lung cancer incidence in homes have continued to accumulate. Many international studies have reported increases in the risk ratio of lung cancer when indoor radon concentrations inside the home are high. SN - 2052-4374 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40557-016-0098-z DO - 10.1186/s40557-016-0098-z ID - Yoon2016 ER -