Hi Gloria - Thank you for sharing your story and for providing so much information about radon's relationship to lung cancer. I'm sorry you and your family had this experience, and appreciate that you have chosen to share what you've learned and be an advocate on behalf of others.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is associated with 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year, according the the National Cancer Institute, the research arm of the US National Institutes of Health.
Radon is a radioactive gas released from the normal decay of uranium in rocks and soil and is present in nearly all air. Everyone breathes radon in every day, usually at very low levels. However, people who inhale high levels of radon are at an increased risk for developing lung cancer.
Radon can enter homes through cracks in floors, walls, or foundations, and collect indoors. It can also be released from building materials, or from water obtained from wells that contain radon. Radon levels can be higher in homes that are well insulated, tightly sealed, and/or built on uranium-rich soil. Because of their closeness to the ground, basement and first floors typically have the highest radon levels.
More information from the National Cancer Institutes on radon can be found here:
Kansas State University, which is one of the resources for radon test kits, has an extensive online list of information resources here:
http://sosradon.org/resources
Gloria, you have reached a lot of people with your message. Thanks for taking the time to write, and I hope you will stay in touch. Best wishes to you in your work on behalf of cancer survivors.
Take good care,
Pat
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Hi Gloria - Thank you for sharing your story and for providing so much information about radon's relationship to lung cancer. I'm sorry you and your family had this experience, and appreciate that you have chosen to share what you've learned and be an advocate on behalf of others.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is associated with 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year, according the the National Cancer Institute, the research arm of the US National Institutes of Health.
Radon is a radioactive gas released from the normal decay of uranium in rocks and soil and is present in nearly all air. Everyone breathes radon in every day, usually at very low levels. However, people who inhale high levels of radon are at an increased risk for developing lung cancer.
Radon can enter homes through cracks in floors, walls, or foundations, and collect indoors. It can also be released from building materials, or from water obtained from wells that contain radon. Radon levels can be higher in homes that are well insulated, tightly sealed, and/or built on uranium-rich soil. Because of their closeness to the ground, basement and first floors typically have the highest radon levels.
More information from the National Cancer Institutes on radon can be found here:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/radon
Kansas State University, which is one of the resources for radon test kits, has an extensive online list of information resources here:
http://sosradon.org/resources
Gloria, you have reached a lot of people with your message. Thanks for taking the time to write, and I hope you will stay in touch. Best wishes to you in your work on behalf of cancer survivors.
November 20, 2009 - 5:40pmTake good care,
Pat
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