Radon Exposure-Therapeutic Effect and Cancer Risk

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2021 Jan 5

PMID 33396815

Citations 22

Authors

Andreas Maier

Julia Wiedemann

Felicitas Rapp

Franziska Papenfuss

Franz Rodel

Stephanie Hehlgans

Udo S Gaipl

Gerhard Kraft

Claudia Fournier

Benjamin Frey

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Largely unnoticed, all life on earth is constantly exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation. Radon, an imperceptible natural occurring radioactive noble gas, contributes as the largest single fraction to radiation exposure from natural sources. For that reason, radon represents a major issue for radiation protection. Nevertheless, radon is also applied for the therapy of inflammatory and degenerative diseases in galleries and spas to many thousand patients a year. In either case, chronic environmental exposure or therapy, the effect of radon on the organism exposed is still under investigation at all levels of interaction. This includes the physical stage of diffusion and energy deposition by radioactive decay of radon and its progeny and the biological stage of initiating and propagating a physiologic response or inducing cancer after chronic exposure. The purpose of this manuscript is to comprehensively review the current knowledge of radon and its progeny on physical background, associated cancer risk and potential therapeutic effects.

Citing Articles

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Inflammatory Biomarkers in Individuals Exposed to Radon.

Lesbek A, Omori Y, Bakhtin M, Kazymbet P, Tokonami S, Altaeva N Biomedicines. 2025; 13(2).

PMID: 40002912 PMC: 11853710. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines13020499.

Serum biomarkers associated with health impacts of high residential radon exposure: a metabolomic pilot study.

Autsavapromporn N, Duangya A, Klunklin P, Chitapanarux I, Kranrod C, Jaikang C Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):5099.

PMID: 39934345 PMC: 11814192. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-89753-z.

Assessment of radioactivity in soil samples from Wolaita Sodo town, Ethiopia: implications for environmental and public health.

Demewoz N, Kassie L, Zeleke H Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2025; 201(3):160-177.

PMID: 39848233 PMC: 11884513. DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncaf002.

On the informative value of community-based indoor radon values in relation to lung cancer.

Rosenberger A, Bickeboller H, Christiani D, Liu G, Schabath M, Duarte L Cancer Med. 2024; 13(16):e70126.

PMID: 39194344 PMC: 11350838. DOI: 10.1002/cam4.70126.

Effects of serial radon spa therapy on pain and peripheral immune status in patients suffering from musculoskeletal disorders- results from a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Donaubauer A, Becker I, Klein G, Voll R, Weikl L, Klieser M Front Immunol. 2024; 15:1307769.

PMID: 38380316 PMC: 10876773. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1307769.

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