It Only Takes A Spark!
by: Jacquelyn E. Nixon, PA Advocate, Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction
August 31, 2019
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health care knowledge about radon,
possibly provide justification for CTScans
and save lives.
Add a statement to the radon testing
request form that asks the property
owner if they would like the radon test
results sent to their physician.
Why should physicians know about the
danger of radioactive radon gas?
Approximately 160,000 individuals die
yearly from lung cancer. According to the
World Health Organization radon gas
exposure can account up to 15% of the
lung cancer incidences or possibly more.
The risk of lung cancer increases by 16%
for every 2.7 picocuries per liter of air
increase in long time average radon
concentration. Residential radon levels
can be measured in an inexpensive and
simple manner. The Environmental
Protection Agency estimates that
approximately 21,000 or more individuals
(non-smokers, former smokers, or current
smokers) die from radon related lung
cancer. The synergy of radioactive radon
gas and tobacco smoke can increase the
individual’s chance of getting lung cancer
by 25%.
According to the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry, the
public and medical community often
under-estimate the potential risk of
cancer due to radon exposure. With the
information that can be provided to the
physicians on what radon is, the danger of
exposure and the ease of testing, patients
and the medical communities can protect
themselves from the leading environ-
mental cause of cancer mortality.
After being diagnosed with
Adenocarcinoma, having a Lobectomy and
spending only three days in the hospital,
Jackie Nixon was sent home 100% cancer
free … no chemotherapy, no radiation and
no medication necessary. Jackie was told
to just walk every day.
One “key” question that continually
bothered Jackie was the surgeon’s
question, “So… how do you think you got
this?” Assuming that the doctor would
tell her, she was astonished and could
only think, “… I don’t know … you tell me!”
That question was never answered.
Seven months later … had it not been for
a home inspector asking, “Did you ever
hear of radon?”, she never would have
been aware that she was living in a
building with high levels. After having
her condominium and two condos at the
lowest level of the building tested with
continuous radon monitors, the levels
were found to be extremely high in both
ground apartments. They were then
tested “again” and the levels came out
even higher! The reports were sent to the
homeowners and it was then up to each
of them to decide what to do about it.
Since there is no legislation in her state
that requires that high levels must be
fixed, the information is never sent
anywhere else.
As a patient who never smoked or was
exposed to other types of industrial
carcinogens that could have caused the
cancer, Jackie needed answers or there
would be no peace. “Why didn’t my
doctor know?” This lead to a concept
that she said is so simple, could improve