DON'T GO INTO THE BASEMENT

Radon gas may be responsible for up to one tenth of all lung cancer deaths in the U.S., says a new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. According to the Journal, Radon seeping into homes from the ground may cause an estimated 14,400 lung cancer deaths, and may be responsible for 30 percent of lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers. The study's conclusions are based on an analysis of hard-rock miners who had cancer and had been exposed to radon at work. The authors are quick to note that their results should be interpreted with caution, since miners are exposed to wide range of chemicals that could be responsible for the cancer.