Radon and Breast Cancer:
The Ghost of Junk Science to Come?

P.M. Kildea, Jr.and T.C. Lee; Risk Anal 1996;16:1-2

"Breast cancer has reached epidemic proportions in the United States... One has to wonder why this alarming increase in breast cancer in the past few decades and question whether unrecognized environmental agents may be at work," say the Harvard-based authors in a letter to the editor of Risk Analysis.

These researchers theorize that radon plates out onto surfaces and a surface made of synthetic materials will collect 2 to 10 times more radon. Coincidentally, women's undergarments, particularly brassieres are composed almost exclusively of synthetic materials. The theory is that radon plates out onto brassieres and then decays into substances that emit gamma radiation that causes breast cancer.

Fortunately, the authors acknowledged that their theory is the result of mere "casual observation." Yet, they do advocate more research (i.e., $$$$ for them) to explore this issue to "determine if it is a possible health hazard,... and to assist the security profession in monitoring radiation detection devices.

Junk like this makes you wonder if researchers even stay abreast (ha ha!) of current science and knowledge. Even the National Cancer Institute has recognized that the reasons for the increase in the breast cancer rate is improved diagnoses and detection techniques, and the fact that breast cancer is largely a disease of aging and women are living longer.

Will Kildea and Lee get $$$ to study radon, bras and breast cancer? Will their work be BRAnded as BRAinless? Are they that BRAve, BRAsh and BRAzen? BRAce yourselves! Stay tuned for the answers to these and other (bra) burning questions.

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