Three Alarming Facts About Lung Cancer
#1. Lung Cancer May Not Cause Any Symptoms in its Early Stages
Signs and symptoms sometimes seen in lung cancer:
A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time
Chest pain that doesn't go away
Coughing up blood
Feeling short of breath
Wheezing
Losing your voice (hoarseness)
Getting sick with pneumonia and bronchitis a lot
Swollen neck and face
Not hungry, losing weight without trying
Feeling tired
These symptoms could mean lung cancer, or it could be something else. If you have these symptoms, go see your doctor to find out what’s causing the symptoms. Your doctor can say for sure what's causing the symptoms and how to treat them.
#2. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
Health Canada, the World Health Organization, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and many other respected international authorities all agree – Radon is the number 1 cause of lung cancer for non-smokers.
Recent estimates published by the Radiation Protection Bureau of Health Canada show that 16% of lung cancer deaths are attributable to indoor radon exposure. This estimate is conservative and will increase as radon induced lung cancers are more commonly detected in the future.
#3. Radon-induced lung cancer can be avoided.
Test your home and then mitigate elevated concentrations of radon. The only way to know if you have a radon problem is to test for it. Testing for radon is easy and inexpensive.
Radon + Smoking = dangerous combination! People who smoke and are exposed to elevated levels of radon have a significantly increased risk of developing lung cancer.