The Epidemiology of Lung Cancer Among Uranium Miners

The epidemiological approach, long used to elucidate relationships between infectious agents and outbreaks or epidemics of acute illness, has been employed more recently in the investigation of factors which might be related to chronic illness. Such an application of epidemiology is exemplified by studies on the occurrence of lung cancer among uranium miners and other types of miners in Europe and the United States. A clear association exists between cumulative exposure to short-lived radon daughters and a higher than expected incidence of lung cancer among the miners. The significance of epidemiological data in relation to the safety of the work place is discussed.