Epidemiology of lung and larynx cancers in coal mines in Upper Silesia--preliminary results.

The results of the preliminary analysis of the risk of lung and larynx cancers among coal miners in Upper Silesia are presented. The risk increases substantially during the work under conditions of short-lived radon progeny hazard, especially when the concentration of alpha potential energy of short-lived radon progeny is higher than 2.5 (microJ m(-3)) that corresponds to the possibility of receiving the effective dose higher than 6 mSv y(-1). Significant differences of the risk are noticed between sub-populations of autochthon-miners and immigrant-miners: it was found that the relative risk for immigrant-miners was up to 2 times higher than for autochthon-miners.