Exposure to Radon and Kidney Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Observational Epidemiological Studies

Objective To evaluate the possible association between radon exposure and kidney cancer. Methods We performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis based on random effect models to provide a pooled association measure. Results We subjected 8 studies(overall relative risks and 95% confidence intervals: 1.01, 0.72 to 1.43, I2= 64.4%) to meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis revealed a marginally significant association between radon exposure and kidney cancer in studies conducted in Europe. Two population-based studies provided no evidence for the increased risk of kidney cancer in the general population. Conclusion The association between radon and kidney cancer remains unclear but cannot be excluded because of its biological plausibility and the limited number and quality of existing studies. Additional data from the general population and well-designed miner cohort studies are needed to reveal the real relationship between radon exposure and kidney cancer.