Radon Environmental

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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.

Further Reading:

Canadian Cancer Society