Juan Miguel Barros-Dios

• Doctor of Medicine
• Professor (Full) at University of Santiago de Compostela

Indoor radon is a human lung carcinogen. The objective of this research is to describe residential radon distribution in a European region with high geogenic radon potential using cross-sectional data. This study is also aimed at describing the use of census tracts as a geographical unit in radon maps and describing radon distribution according to...

Introduction: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) comprises 10-15% of all lung cancer cases and is the most aggressive histological type. Survival is poor and the molecular landscape of this disease is extraordinarily complex. The objective of this paper was to perform a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) of this disease using a case-control study spe...

Radon is a carcinogenic compound, and is particularly concerning in the education sector, where children and teachers may be exposed even longer than at home. Thus, this study intended to characterise radon in the indoor air of scholar environments in different provinces/districts of the Euroregion Galicia-Norte de Portugal. With a pioneering appro...

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) comprises approximately 10% of all lung cancer cases. Tobacco is its main risk factor; however, occupation might play a role in this specific lung cancer subtype. The effect of occupation on SCLC risk has been hardly studied and therefore we aim to assess the role of occupation on the risk of SCLC. To do this, we desig...

After smoking, indoor radon is the main contributor to lung cancer in many countries. The European Union (EU) Directive 2013/59/Euratom establishes a maximum reference level of 300 Bq/m3 of radon concentration in the workplace, and an effective dose limit of 20 mSv per year for workers. If the radon concentration in a workplace exceeds the referenc...

Background Lung cancer (LC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in both sexes worldwide. Although the principal risk factor in the western world is tobacco smoking, genetic factors, including alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), have been associated with increased risk. This study is the continuatio...

Introduction: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a multifactorial pathology with an increasing incidence. There is no study having assessed a possible relationship with residential radon exposure, very high in the study area. The aim of the study was to analyze if residential radon concentration is associated with a higher incidence of IBD. Mate...

Background Lung cancer (LC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in both sexes worldwide. Although its principal risk factor is smoking habit, there are genetic mutations, such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), that have been related with increased risk This study is the continuation of an earl...

Background COPD is a multifactorial disease which causes considerable mortality and morbidity worldwide. Previous studies assessing the possible relationship between indoor radon exposure and COPD have shown inconclusive results. Methods A multicentric, hospital-based, case-control study was conducted in a Spanish radon-prone area. COPD cases were...

Background: The etiology of lung cancer in never smokers is partly unknown. We aimed to assess the effect of fruits and vegetables consumption on lung cancer risk in never smokers. Methods: We pooled five multicenter case-control studies performed in Northwestern Spain. Cases and controls were all never smokers. All lung cancer cases had anatomo...

Introduction: Tobacco consumption and radon exposure are considered the first and second most common causes of lung cancer, respectively. The aim of this study was to analyse both whether selected genetic polymorphisms in loci that are in DNA repair pathways, are related to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and whether they may modulate the associ...

Background Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a multifactorial pathology with an increasing incidence. There are environmental factors, many unknown, that participate in its development. There is no study having assessed a possible relationship with residential radon exposure, which is very high in the study area. The aim of this study was to anal...

Lung cancer has the highest cancer mortality rate in developed countries. The principal risk factor for lung cancer is tobacco use, with residential radon being the leading risk factor among never smokers and the second among ever smokers. We sought to estimate mortality attributable to residential radon exposure in Spain and its Autonomous Regions...

The presence of radon in buildings is a matter of growing concern in the industry. A further layer of complexity is present in heritage buildings, where sources of exhalation other than those observed in more modern conventional buildings may render diagnosis and intervention even more difficult. This study explored the high exhalation rates origin...

Purpose: This study sought to ascertain whether there might be an association between radon concentrations and age, gender, histologic type, and tumor stage at diagnosis. Materials and methods: Lung cancer cases from different multicenter case-control studies were analyzed, and clinical data were retrieved from electronic health records and pers...

Background Lung cancer is a public health problem worldwide. Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive histologic type, with a 5-year survival <10%. SCLC is closely associated with tobacco consumption and infrequent in never-smokers. We aim to describe SCLC characteristics in never-smokers recruited in a radon-prone area. Patients and m...

Introduction: Residential radon is considered the second cause of lung cancer and the first in never smokers. Nevertheless, there is little information regarding the association between elevated radon levels and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We aimed to assess the effect of residential radon exposure on the risk of SCLC in general population throu...

Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless noble gas, causally related with the onset of lung cancer. We aimed to describe the distribution of radon exposure in the municipality of Manizales, Colombia, in order to estimate the population’s exposure and establish the percentage of dwellings that surpass reference levels. A cross-sectional study r...

Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) includes a highly heterogeneous group of patients with differences in the extent and localization of disease. Many aspects of stage III disease are controversial. The data supporting treatment approaches are often subject to a number of limitations, due to the heterogeneous patient populations involved i...

Polymorphisms in DNA repair pathways may play a relevant role in lung cancer survival in never-smokers. Furthermore, they could be implicated in the response to chemotherapy and toxicity of platinum agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of various genetic polymorphisms in the BER and NER DNA repair pathways on survival and tox...

Background COPD is a multifactorial disease which causes considerable mortality and morbidity worldwide. Previous studies assessing the possible relationship between indoor radon exposure and COPD have shown inconclusive results. Methods A multicentric, hospital-based, case-control study was conducted in a Spanish radon-prone area. COPD cases were...

Background: To carry out a systematic review of scientific literature about the association between radon exposure and neurodegenerative diseases. Methods: We performed a bibliographic search in the following databases: Pub med (Medline), Cochrane, BioMed Central and Web of Science. We collected the data by following a predetermined search strategy...

Background Through a pooled case-control study design, we have assessed the relationship between residential radon exposure and lung cancer risk. Other objectives of the study were to evaluate the different risk estimates for the non-small cell lung cancer histological types and to assess the effect modification of the radon exposure on lung cancer...

Radon gas is a pulmonary carcinogen and the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. There are many countries that have not implemented measures to reduce the risk it poses to the general population. The aim of this study was to locate available evidence on exposure to residential radon and the regulations to monitor and control this acro...

We aimed to evaluate lung cancer survival in never-smokers, both overall and specifically by sex, exposure to residential-radon, age, histological type, and diagnostic stage. We included lung cancer cases diagnosed in a multicentre, hospital-based, case-control-study of never-smoker patients, diagnosed from January-2011 to March-2015 (Lung Cancer R...

Introduction The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between exposure to residential radon and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by means of a systematic review. Material and Methods A search was conducted in PubMed and OVID for papers making reference to the radon–COPD relationship. No search filters were applied, whether...

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between do-it-yourself activities entailing the exposure to carcinogenic substances and the risk of lung cancer. Methods: We pooled individual data from different case-control studies conducted in Northwestern Spain which investigated residential radon and lung cancer. Cases had an...

Objective: To assess the association between exposure to radon and genitourinary cancer in a mining population through a systematic review of the scientific literature. Method: A systematic review of the scientific literature was carried out in MEDLINE (PubMed), combining MeSH (Medical Subject Heading) terms and free terms. We applied a specific...

Radon indoor concentrations and its relation with lung cancer has been an unknown problem for a long time. At present, because of the governmental agencies normatives, it has a place on public health agendas. There are several factors that influences in this problem, being the atmospheric pressure, the type of construction and, mainly, the geologic...

Introduction: Lung cancer is the most important cause of cancer mortality. It is a multifactorial disease with multiple risk factors, including residential radon exposure. Areas covered: The aim of this paper was to review the epidemiology of residential radon exposure and its impact on lung cancer risk. While tobacco is the main risk factor of lun...

Objectives: To analyze the relationship of GSTT1, GSTM1, XRCC1 (rs25487), ERCC1 (rs11615, rs3212986), ERCC2 (rs13181), XRCC3 (rs861539), OGG1 (rs1052133), and Alpha-1-Antitrypsin mutations (AAT) with the risk of lung cancer in never-smokers, and ascertain if there is an effect modification between these polymorphisms and residential radon exposure...

Introduction: Inherited susceptibility to lung cancer risk in never-smokers is poorly understood. The major reason for this gap in knowledge is that this disease is relatively uncommon (except in Asians), making it difficult to assemble an adequate study sample. In this study we conducted a genome-wide association study on the largest, to date, se...

Lung cancer incidence among never smokers has increased in recent decades with 10-30% of all lung cancers occurring in never smokers, where exposure to residential radon is the leading cause of this disease. Lung cancer survival is low, ranging from 12% to 16% at 5 years of diagnosis. There is scant evidence to date on survival from this disease in...

Background: There is inadequate evidence to determine whether there is an effect of alcohol consumption on lung cancer risk. We conducted a pooled analysis of data from the International Lung Cancer Consortium and the SYNERGY study to investigate this possible association by type of beverage with adjustment for other potential confounders. Method...

Objective: To explore whether there is a possible problem regarding indoor radon concentration surpassing the new European Directive 2013/59/Euratom threshold in Spanish workplaces. We also aim to find out whether radon concentration might be associated with certain characteristics of workplaces. Method: We performed a cross-sectional study to m...

Introduction and objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of COPD and whether such prevalence was positively or negatively associated with COPD admissions, using all the data of a regional health care system. Materials and methods: We designed...

Residential radon exposure is considered the second cause of lung cancer and the first in never smokers. Nevertheless, the association between the different histological types of lung cancer and radon is not completely clear, and radon effect on small cell lung cancer is not completely understood. We aim to asses the effect of residential radon exp...

Background: Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in developed countries but the etiology of lung cancer risk in never smokers (LCRINS) is largely unknown. We aim to assess the effects of alcohol consumption, in its different forms, on LCRINS. Methods: We pooled six multi-center case-control studies developed in the northwest of Spain. Cases and c...

Introduction Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive histologic type of lung cancer, and accounts for approximately 10%–15% of all cases. Few studies have analyzed the effect of residential radon. Our aim is to determine the risk factors of SCLC. Methods We designed a multicenter, hospital-based case-control study with the participati...

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is a main risk factor of lung cancer in never smokers. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutations and ALK translocations are more frequent in never smokers' lung cancer than in ever-smokers. We performed a multicenter case-control study to assess if ETS exposure is associated with the presence of EG...

Residential radon exposure is a serious public health concern, and as such appears in the recommendations of European Code Against Cancer. The objective of this study was to assess the association between residential radon levels and mortality due to different types of cancer, using misaligned data analysis techniques. Mortality data (observed case...

Case-control studies show an association between residential radon and lung cancer. The aim of this paper is to investigate this association through a cohort study. We designed an ambispective cohort study using the Galician radon map, Spain, with controls drawn from a previous case-control study. Subjects were recruited between 2002 and 2009. The...

We aimed to know if radon concentration is associated with municipal mortality due to brain cancer in Galicia, Spain. We designed an ecological study taking as study unit Galician municipalities. To be included, municipalities had to have at least three radon measurements. We correlated radon concentrations with municipal mortality due to these mal...

Residential radon exposure is a major public health problem. It is the second greatest cause of lung cancer, after smoking, and the greatest in never-smokers. This study shows the indoor radon exposure distribution in Galicia and estimates the percentage of dwellings exceeding reference levels. It is based on 3,245 residential radon measurements ob...

Introduction: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive histologic type of lung cancer, and accounts for approximately 10%-15% of all cases. Few studies have analyzed the effect of residential radon. Our aim is to determine the risk factors of SCLC. Methods: We designed a multicenter, hospital-based case-control study with the partici...

Purpose: The mechanisms of lung carcinogenesis are not fully understood. Not all smokers develop lung cancer, indicating that genetic variations and other environmental factors may play an important role in its development. The human glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) have been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Glutathione S-transfe...

Objective: To review the published evidence of links between radon exposure and central nervous system tumors through a systematic review of the scientific literature. Methods: We performed a thorough bibliographic search in Medline (PubMed) and EMBASE. We combined MeSH (Medical Subject Heading) terms and free text. We developed a purpose-design...

It is not clear whether alcohol consumption is associated with lung cancer risk. The relationship is likely confounded by smoking, complicating the interpretation of previous studies. We examined the association of alcohol consumption and lung cancer risk in a large pooled international sample, minimizing potential confounding of tobacco consumptio...

The aim of this study was to assess if residential radon exposure might cause EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements in never-smokers. We designed a multicentre case–control study in a radon-prone area (Galicia, Spain); only lung cancer cases were included in the study. We obtained residential radon measurements and clinical information for all the p...

Purpose: Radon is a human lung carcinogen but it might be linked with other respiratory diseases. We aimed to assess the relationship between residential radon exposure and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) prevalence and hospital admissions at a municipal level. Materials and methods: We designed an ecological study where we included...

There are some published scores to estimate lung cancer risk of mortality or incidence. Nevertheless, no score has included residential radon as a variable to be considered when estimating lung cancer risk. In this commentary we discuss the importance of including residential radon as a factor to be taken into account when calculating lung cancer r...

Objetive: Radon is a human lung carcinogen but it might be linked with other respiratory diseases. We aimed to assess the relationship between residential radon exposure and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) prevalence and hospital admissions at a municipal level. Methods: We designed an ecological study where we included those municipa...

Objective: The main objective of this study is to analyse the role of alcohol consumption on lung cancer risk in people who have never smoked. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature following the PRISMA statement. We searched Medline, EMBASE and CINAHL using different combinations of MeSH terms and free text. We i...

Our aim was to describe the characteristics of a case-series of never-smoker small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cases. Cases of SCLC were selected from a prospective, multicenter, hospital-based case–control study performed in Spain. Participants were never-smokers older than 30 years with an anatomo-pathological confirmation of primary lung cancer. We...

Refers to all those cancers where tobacco has an etiologic role either in active or in passive form. Due to the risk for health associated with tobacco consumption and also to its widespread use, tobacco-related cancers have been sometimes studied as a whole.

Las infecciones asociadas a la asistencia sanitaria suponen una parte sustancial de los efectos adversos que los pacientes sufren durante la atención médica. Las bacteriemias asociadas a catéter vascular central (CVC) suponen una causa importante de estas infecciones. Los objetivos fueron determinar la tasa de incidencia de bacteriemia asociada a C...

Background: The high relapse and mortality rate of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) fuels the need for epidemiologic study to aid in its prevention. Methods: We included 24 studies from the ILCCO collaboration. Random-effects panel logistic regression and cubic spline regression were used to estimate the effects of smoking behaviors on SCLC risk and e...

Oropharyngeal cancer is a multifactorial disease. Alcohol and tobacco are the main risk factors. Radon is a human carcinogen linked to lung cancer risk, but its influence in other cancers is not well known. We aim to assess the effect of radon exposure on the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer through a systematic review of the scientific literatur...

Never smokers comprise up to 25% of all lung cancer cases. They could have different molecular pathways for lung cancer induction compared with smokers. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a hereditary trait whose main characteristic is early onset of lung emphysema. Our aim is to know if alpha-1 antitrypsin deficient carriers have a higher risk of l...

The aim of this study is to assess if there is a relationship between residential radon and lung cancer histological types and patients' age at diagnosis. We conducted a multicenter hospital-based case-control study with 8 participating hospitals. We included 216 never-smoking cases with primary lung cancer and 329 never-smoking controls. Controls...

Background: Alcohol consumption is known to be associated with risk of developing several cancers. It is unclear, however, whether alcohol consumption is a risk factor for lung cancer. The relationship between lung cancer and alcohol consumption is likely to be confounded by smoking. To minimize potential confounding by tobacco consumption, we cond...

Lung cancer has multiple risk factors and tobacco is the main one. Diet plays a role, but no clear effect has been consistently observed for different fruit and vegetable consumption. We aim to assess the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and lung cancer risk through a hospital-based case-control study in Spanish population. We re...

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of residential radon exposure on the risk of lung cancer in never-smokers and to ascertain if environmental tobacco smoke modifies the effect of residential radon. We designed a multicentre hospital-based case–control study in a radon-prone area (Galicia, Spain). All participants were never-smokers. Cas...

Introduction: Radon exposure has been classified as the second cause of lung cancer, after tobacco, and the first in never smokers. GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes deletion increase the risk of lung cancer. We aim to know whether the risk of lung cancer because of residential radon is modulated by these genetic polymorphisms. Methods: Hospital-based, case...

We aim to assess the relationship between leisure time activities related to exposure to carcinogenic substances and lung cancer risk in a hospital-based case-control study performed in never smokers. We included never smoking cases with anatomopathologically confirmed lung cancer and never smoking controls undergoing trivial surgery, at 8 Spanish...

Residential radon is the second cause of lung cancer and the first in never smokers. Galicia is a high radon emission area. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between municipal lung cancer mortality and residential radon in Galician municipalities. We performed an ecologic study including 192 municipalities with at least 3 r...

Purpose: To analyze the correlation between municipal esophageal cancer relative risk and municipal residential radon concentration in a high radon emission Spanish area. Materials and methods: We performed an ecological study at municipal level in Galicia, Spain. For each municipality we estimated the median radon concentration and the relative...

Background and objective Residential radon is the second cause of lung cancer and the first in never smokers. Galicia is a high radon emission area. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between municipal lung cancer mortality and residential radon in Galician municipalities. Material and method We performed an ecologic study...

Aims and background: Lung cancer has a high incidence, and only 15% of all cases are alive 5 years after the diagnosis. Identifying the role of the genes implicated in the success of chemotherapy agents is crucial to predict survival. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene deletion on lung cancer survival. Met...

Radon exposure is considered the second cause of lung cancer and the first in never smokers. We aim to assess the effect of residential radon exposure on the risk of lung cancer in never smokers through a systematic review applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. 14 studies were included. Some of them point to a relationship between re...

Objective To assess the relationship between self-perception of their health and mortality in a representative sample of persons over 65 in a rural community. Design Survival study of population with three years observance. Setting A non-coastal and rural borough in Galicia. Participants 408 people over 65, chosen by random sampling. Measuremen...

Introduction Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is currently the main indoor pollutant and causes a high morbility and mortality. A partial restriction came into force in Portugal, in 2008, law 37/2007, trying to control, define and regulate smoke-free environments. Objective To assess exposure and perceived impact of the law 37/2007 on exposure to...

Aims and background Lung cancer has a high incidence, and only 15% of all cases are alive 5 years after the diagnosis. Identifying the role of the genes implicated in the success of chemotherapy agents is crucial to predict survival. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene deletion on lung cancer survival. Metho...

Introduction: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is currently the main indoor pollutant and causes a high morbility and mortality. A partial restriction came into force in Portugal, in 2008, law 37/2007, trying to control, define and regulate smoke-free environments. Objective: To assess exposure and perceived impact of the law 37/2007 on exposur...

Introduction and objective: Residential radon is the second most important risk factor for lung cancer and the first among never-smokers. The objective of this study is to report the concentrations of residential radon in a series of never-smoker cases recruited in a multicenter study of cases and controls in northwestern Spain. In this study, all...