“ They had no explanation why the gene had stopped working and allowed the cancer cells to grow .” Her current doctor had some idea of what might have happened . “ My doctor said that , though she couldn ’ t be 100 % sure , recent research made her confident enough to suggest that radon was the cause ,” she said . Leah ’ s doctor went on to explain that Kentucky ( where Leah lived ), was a state with one of the highest levels of radon exposure in the country . Studies have proven that the damage from exposure to radioactive radon gas may not show up until later in life . In Leah ’ s case , her exposure to radon had caused the EGFR exon 19 gene to fail .
Leah immediately had her home and her parents ’ home tested . They found radon levels to be not far above the EPA action level . When they decided to build a new house , they had a radon mitigation system put in . But her doctor brought up the sobering fact that radon was sneaky and odorless . It could have been in high levels in her dorm room in college or apartments she lived in before she was married . Even more distressing , radon could have been present at high levels in the school building where she worked .
She knew she needed to do something to prevent others from receiving a similar diagnosis . “ I have been sharing my story on the local news and even been in commercials for a radon mitigation company . I want everyone to know what they need to test their houses , schools and businesses for radon . You never know how you might be exposed ,” Leah said .
Radon testing is not mandatory when you buy and sell a home or commercial building in all states , and Leah believes this needs to change . “ Hundreds of thousands of people are exposed to radon every day and don ' t even know it in the places where we are supposed to feel safe , like our homes , our schools , our businesses . We send our kids there , worried for their safety , but we don ’ t think about radon which can be deadly . So , there needs to be more awareness about the need for radon testing and not just in homes ,” she said .
Find out more about radon and how to get your home tested at Lung . org / radon . Source : https :// www . lung . org / blog / radon‐lung‐cancer‐linked
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