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[Ωmega]

a neat addition to dwarf fortress would be for ores that would normally be radioactive, like pitchblende, to actually be radioactive and can give your dwarves cancer when mined from inhaling their dust.

imagine Urist Mcdwarf has a happy family, plenty of respect in the fortress, and loads of experience making him a legendary miner you have obviously grown attached to and would do anything to keep from falling into lava. one day he was digging very deep and hit a cluster of pitchblende. some dust is launched into the air and Urist thinks nothing of it at first. the next day he starts feeling pain, fatigue, and his cough isn't getting any better. he visits the infirmary for a checkup and is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and leukemia. the chief medical dwarf and 2 others perform and experimental surgery to cut out the tumor in Urist's left lung. you continue ordering your dwarves to do other things like finishing that lava moat and completing turtle shell crafts for the next elven caravan but you always glance back at status of the operation worryingly. eventually the surgery was, to your great relief, a success but there was no way to cure his leukemia. his health degrades slowly over the course of a month to the point where he can no longer stand. he rests on his death bed surrounded by his family, friends of the fortress, and yourself nearly crying manly tears of farewell. his final words were to his son, Urist McJr just before his eyes closed and his soul taken by Armok. the other dwarves begin a downward spiral of depression greater than a simpler death since Urist's was so slow and tormenting. the fortress then falls to tantrum spirals and chaos but is brought back after happy thoughts and memories came to them from the sight and memories of Urist from his grand tomb.

slower deaths should cause dwarves to feel worse thoughts than a simple death since they constantly visit them depending on how close they were when they were healthy. this would add a great deal of feel and fun to the game's already amazing randomly generated story gameplay. when playing legends mode you can read about how an epic hero slowly succumbs to cancer and dies with his friend giving you a real tearjerker.

[Di]

his health degrades slowly over the course of a month to the point where he can no longer stand. he rests on his death bed surrounded by his family,

And then someone brings him a bucket of water from the well of undeath.

On a serious note though, there were no cancer treatment in times before 1400 AD. Not to mention that that's not how pitchblende works.

[Avo]

Uranium ores and the like tend to contain only trace ammounts of radioactive material, it's why refining it is such a pain. Because of that you could safely breathe in pitchblende without really worrying. Additionally, as DI stated dwarves do not have the advanced technology required to  locate a tumor let alone operate on it.

[Ωmega]

this is dwarf fortress. a giant snake ostrich breathes poisonous mist, or a dwarf finds a tumor inside a dwarve's lung, or a dwarf drinks nothing but wine for a year and never gets alcohol poisoning, does it really matter how?

[Owlbread]

It seems that the objective of your suggestion could actually be accomplished without necessarily having to use cancer. You seem to be just looking for some slower illnesses rather than quick deaths - in my opinion those could be anything from dementia to pneumonia to something procedurally generated.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Uranium ores and the like tend to contain only trace ammounts of radioactive material, it's why refining it is such a pain. Because of that you could safely breathe in pitchblende without really worrying.

Also, the radiation from uranium is greatly exaggerated.

[10ebbor10]

Uranium ores and the like tend to contain only trace ammounts of radioactive material, it's why refining it is such a pain. Because of that you could safely breathe in pitchblende without really worrying.

Also, the radiation from uranium is greatly exaggerated.

In general, coal is more dangerous.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Uranium ores and the like tend to contain only trace ammounts of radioactive material, it's why refining it is such a pain. Because of that you could safely breathe in pitchblende without really worrying.

Also, the radiation from uranium is greatly exaggerated.

In general, coal is more dangerous.

But you never see a movie where a terrible coal plant accident causes a horrible devastation, do you? Nope, everyone seems to think that nuclear plants get their energy by smacking live atomic warheads all day or something.
But I digress.

[Tevish Szat]

But you never see a movie where a terrible coal plant accident causes a horrible devastation, do you?

You'd think an exaggerated, potentially supernatural-induced version of Centralia would make a good backdrop for some horror too... abandoned small town, wreathed in acrid smoke, the earth beneath your feet is warm, fissures breathe, and sinkholes open right down to burning coal hell.

[weenog]

But you never see a movie where a terrible coal plant accident causes a horrible devastation, do you?

You'd think an exaggerated, potentially supernatural-induced version of Centralia would make a good backdrop for some horror too... abandoned small town, wreathed in acrid smoke, the earth beneath your feet is warm, fissures breathe, and sinkholes open right down to burning coal hell.

  There was the Silent Hill movie, but it sucked.

[Nonsequitorian]

Nope, everyone seems to think that nuclear plants get their energy by smacking live atomic warheads all day or something.

Wait what? Jussa second. Uhm.

Wait.

Is that really not what we're supposed to be doing? I think I gotta go tell the bossman...

[Naryar]

Uranium ores and the like tend to contain only trace ammounts of radioactive material, it's why refining it is such a pain. Because of that you could safely breathe in pitchblende without really worrying.

Also, the radiation from uranium is greatly exaggerated.

In general, coal is more dangerous.

But you never see a movie where a terrible coal plant accident causes a horrible devastation, do you? Nope, everyone seems to think that nuclear plants get their energy by smacking live atomic warheads all day or something.
But I digress.

But how many excessively cute and unrealistic woodland creatures have choked on coal plant smoke ?

[10ebbor10]

Quite a lot actually. Remember the butterflies turning colors.

[Loud Whispers]

Radon gas coming out of granite would be a rather amusing feature. However it wouldn't impact the game in any noticeable way. Best leave it to unexplained ruins sitting atop granite mountains than an ever looming threat to Fortresses.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Uranium ores and the like tend to contain only trace ammounts of radioactive material, it's why refining it is such a pain. Because of that you could safely breathe in pitchblende without really worrying.

Also, the radiation from uranium is greatly exaggerated.

In general, coal is more dangerous.

But you never see a movie where a terrible coal plant accident causes a horrible devastation, do you? Nope, everyone seems to think that nuclear plants get their energy by smacking live atomic warheads all day or something.
But I digress.

But how many excessively cute and unrealistic woodland creatures have choked on coal plant smoke ?

More than have died from nuclear plant incidents.
In fact, wildlife is flourishing around Chernobyl. Either there's no threat to wildlife there, or the occasional presence of humans is even more debilitating than whatever's there.