Research progress between radon and lung cancer

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor originating from the bronchial mucosa or glands of the lung, with a high risk of invasion and metastasis. Lung cancer is one of the most malignant tumors to human health and life. Radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. To date, different meta-analysis studies have demonstrated a dose-response relationship between radon exposure and lung cancer. These studies are very heterogeneous due to different sample size, number and type of detectors used, gender inclusion and smoking status. It is well established that radon can cause DNA damage and high genomic instability, but its exact oncogenic mechanism in lung cancer remains unclear. Our review describes the association between lung cancer and radon from the epidemiology, the mechanism, serological changes and screening prevention of radon-induced lung cancer, to improve the public′s understanding of radon and lung cancer, and provides new insights for the research and prevention of radon and lung cancer.