The Turning Point : Biomarker Testing
What ’ s Radon ?
The oncologist diagnosed me with stage IV lung cancer and was ready to start me on chemo and immunotherapy . Meanwhile , my husband connected with Dr . Leora Horn at Vanderbilt University Medical Center by email over Christmas break . She said , “ Absolutely , do not let her put one drug in her body .” She wanted me to do biomarker testing , and if I were to start chemo or immunotherapy , it could cause a tyrosine kinase inhibitor ( TKI ) drug treatment I might try instead to not work .
The Turning Point : Biomarker Testing
The key turning point for us – my husband has been my partner every step of the way – was getting biomarker testing . At big hospitals , that ’ s the first thing they do . But many smaller hospitals , like those near us , aren ’ t research driven . You need to get a second opinion and biomarker testing . It ’ s your life .
So mine came back showing a genetic mutation called an EGFR exon 19 deletion . What breaks that gene and allows lung cancer to grow ? Radon exposure .
What ’ s Radon ?
Radon is an odorless , tasteless gas emitted through limestone . Certain areas of the country , like Colorado and Tennessee , have lots of limestone in the ground . It ’ s emitted daily , but diluted in the air so much that it ’ s not a danger .
But there can be high radon exposure and radon poisoning emitted through the limestone that houses or buildings sit on . It can get trapped in the structures , so you breathe it in . It takes 5 to 25 years for the radon to break the gene .
The EPA measures radon by pCi , aka picocurie or “ pico ” for short . It ’ s the rate of radon ’ s radioactive decay . A level 4 or below is deemed OK . But if , for example , you have a pico reading of 20 in your home , it ’ s the equivalent of smoking 40 cigarettes a day . And though that pico level is high , it ’ s not even super high .
I grew up in Kentucky , where radon is prevalent . It ’ s ever changing . You really have to have radon tested every 2 to 3 years . If your radon level comes back high , you can opt to have it mitigated . This means you can have a fan placed in your attic . Then a pipe sucks the radon out of your house and expels it , but keeps a constant flow .
I could try to trace back where I was exposed to radon , but my energy is better spent moving forward with my treatment .