which could possibly be associated with the incidence of various cancers in the state," Oancea said.
"The cancer registry data has helped us evaluate the association between indoor radon exposure and the incidence of CLL at the county level in North Dakota," she continued. "We found this association to be statistically significant, and plan to continue our research. We don't know for sure what causes CLL, and hope that our future research will help us shed more light on this problem.
"What we found is a suggestion, not an answer," said Schwartz. "It's frustrating. The answer to what causes CLL may never be known."
Mitigate and prevent
As the investigation continues, all three researchers have a recommendation: mitigate radon.
"Radon is a big problem," said Rundquist. "It is second only to smoking as a cause of lung cancer. You could live in a house with radon, never smoke, and still get lung cancer. It's a proven risk for lung cancer."
"Radon causes 22,000 deaths a year from lung cancer," said Schwartz. "It causes more deaths than drunk driving and is preventable in theory."
Preventing cancer caused by radon is fairly simple, the researchers said. Free testing kits are available from the North Dakota Department of Health, and mitigation could be as simple as purchasing a rubber cover for sump pump holes or sealing basement cracks. The cost is generally less than $2,000.
Still, said Schwartz, it's difficult to convince people to test for and mitigate radon.
"How do you to motivate people about a peril that's invisible, can't be tasted or smelled, and costs money if found?"
Radon can be mitigated, said Rundquist. "It helps to keep windows cracked in winter, when the concentration is worse. Newer houses are more airtight with better construction."
Will remediating your home lower the risk of CLL?
"I don't know," said Schwartz. "But it should lower the risk of lung cancer."
"Our research is important for our state," said Oancea. "We do know indoor radon is a possible risk factor for CLL. I advise everyone to test for it in their homes, especially if they have a basement and spend significant time there."
"It's the sword in the stone," Schwartz said. "The cause of CLL may be hiding in plain sight, and we have the highest rates in the nation. That's very unusual. We have the opportunity to solve problems for North Dakotans and those outside of the state. The discovery of the cause for CLL could be made here."
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University of North Dakota. "Radon on the radar." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 October 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171031151431.htm>.
Radon can be mitigated, said Rundquist. "It helps to keep windows cracked in winter, when the concentration is worse. Newer houses are more airtight with better construction."
Will remediating your home lower the risk of CLL?
"I don't know," said Schwartz. "But it should lower the risk of lung cancer."
"Our research is important for our state," said Oancea. "We do know indoor radon is a possible risk factor for CLL. I advise everyone to test for it in their homes, especially if they have a basement and spend significant time there."
"It's the sword in the stone," Schwartz said. "The cause of CLL may be hiding in plain sight, and we have the highest rates in the nation. That's very unusual. We have the opportunity to solve problems for North Dakotans and those outside of the state. The discovery of the cause for CLL could be made here."
_______________________________________
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of North Dakota. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
_______________________________________
Journal Reference:
1. S Cristina Oancea, Bradley C Rundquist, Isaac Simon, Sami Swartz, Yun Zheng, Xudong Zhou, Mary Ann Sens, Gary G Schwartz. County level incidence rates of chronic lymphocytic leukemia are associated with residential radon levels. Future Oncology, 2017; 13 (21): 1873 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2017-0165
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University of North Dakota. "Radon on the radar." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 October 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171031151431.htm>.
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