The Pooled Uranium Miners Analysis (PUMA) study is the largest uranium miners cohort with 119,709 miners, 4.3 million person-years at risk and 7754 lung cancer deaths. Excess relative rate (ERR) estimates for lung cancer mortality per unit of cumulative exposure to radon progeny in working level months (WLM) based on the PUMA study have been reported. The ERR/WLM was modified by attained age, time since exposure or age at exposure, and exposure rate. This pattern was found for the full PUMA cohort and the 1960 + sub-cohort, i.e., miners hired in 1960 or later with chronic low radon exposures and exposure rates. The aim of the present paper is to calculate the lifetime excess absolute risk (LEAR) of lung cancer mortality per WLM using the PUMA risk models, as well as risk models derived in previously published smaller uranium miner studies, some of which are included in PUMA. The same methods were applied for all risk models, i.e., relative risk projection up to <95 years of age, an exposure scenario of 2 WLM per year from age 18-64 years, and baseline mortality rates representing a mixed Euro-American-Asian population. Depending upon the choice of model, the estimated LEAR per WLM are 5.38 × 10-4 or 5.57 × 10-4 in the full PUMA cohort and 7.50 × 10-4 or 7.66 × 10-4 in the PUMA 1960 + sub-cohort, respectively. The LEAR per WLM estimates derived from risk models reported for previously published uranium miners studies range from 2.5 × 10-4 to 9.2 × 10-4. PUMA strengthens knowledge on the radon-related lung cancer LEAR, a useful way to translate models for policy purposes.

• Keywords
• Cohort study, Lifetime risk, Lung cancer, Mortality, Radon, Uranium miners,
• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Cohort Studies MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Lung Neoplasms * epidemiology   etiology   MeSH
• Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced * epidemiology   etiology   MeSH
• Occupational Diseases * epidemiology   MeSH
• Occupational Exposure * adverse effects   MeSH
• Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins MeSH
• Radon * adverse effects   MeSH
• Uranium * adverse effects   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins MeSH
• Radon * MeSH
• Uranium * MeSH

BACKGROUND: Despite reductions in exposure for workers and the general public, radon remains a leading cause of lung cancer. Prior studies of underground miners depended heavily upon information on deaths among miners employed in the early years of mine operations when exposures were high and tended to be poorly estimated. OBJECTIVES: To strengthen the basis for radiation protection, we report on the follow-up of workers employed in the later periods of mine operations for whom we have more accurate exposure information and for whom exposures tended to be accrued at intensities that are more comparable to contemporary settings. METHODS: We conducted a pooled analysis of cohort studies of lung cancer mortality among 57,873 male uranium miners in Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, and the United States, who were first employed in 1960 or later (thereby excluding miners employed during the periods of highest exposure and focusing on miners who tend to have higher quality assessments of radon progeny exposures). We derived estimates of excess relative rate per 100 working level months (ERR/100 WLM) for mortality from lung cancer. RESULTS: The analysis included 1.9 million person-years of observation and 1,217 deaths due to lung cancer. The relative rate of lung cancer increased in a linear fashion with cumulative exposure to radon progeny (ERR/100 WLM=1.33; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.88). The association was modified by attained age, age at exposure, and annual exposure rate; for attained ages <55 y, the ERR/100 WLM was 8.38 (95% CI: 3.30, 18.99) among miners who were exposed at ≥35 years of age and at annual exposure rates of <0.5 working levels. This association decreased with older attained ages, younger ages at exposure, and higher exposure rates. DISCUSSION: Estimates of association between radon progeny exposure and lung cancer mortality among relatively contemporary miners are coherent with estimates used to inform current protection guidelines. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10669.

• MeSH
• Radon Daughters MeSH
• Miners * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Lung Neoplasms * MeSH
• Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced * epidemiology   etiology   MeSH
• Occupational Diseases * epidemiology   etiology   MeSH
• Occupational Exposure * MeSH
• Radon * MeSH
• Uranium * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Radon Daughters MeSH
• Radon * MeSH
• Uranium * MeSH