Two years ago, I went to the emergency room because of a gall bladder attack and found out through a CT scan that I had Stage 1B lung cancer. Several months later, I had 20% of my left lung removed. Thank God the cancer was caught early. The doctors have told me over and over how lucky I was to have had that gall bladder attack. Otherwise, by the time I would have developed any symptoms, the cancer would have advanced to Stage IV and it would have been too late for treatment.
Having never smoked before nor been exposed to a significant amount of second-hand smoke, I was puzzled as to how I developed lung cancer with no family history of the disease. Upon doing research on the Internet, I was surprised to discover that radon is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today, and a leading cause of lung cancer in healthy people who have never smoked.
I have lived in my Glen Ellyn home in DuPage County, Illinois for 24 years. Certain areas in DuPage County are known for high levels of radon, including my own neighborhood. I knew there was radon there, but was not aware of the long-term effects of radon exposure although, ironically, I worked in the field of public health for over 20 years. I purchased a home test kit, conducted the test and sent it to the lab. The results revealed that the radon levels in my home were five times the EPA recommended level. Subsequently, I had a radon mitigation system installed in my home that has lowered the radon levels to within the acceptable EPA range.
Two years later, life has moved on, and so have I. I have resumed all of my normal activities, including exercising five days a week, bowling, golfing, and occasional 3 mile walks. Because my cancer was caught early, my prognosis is good.
I have become an advocate for radon awareness. I have been interviewed by several media, including CBS 2 Chicago, The Chicago Sun Times, WSNS Telemundo in Chicago, a Canadian television station, and in November I was interviewed for a public service announcement for Lung Cancer Awareness Month. I have also spoken on panels at several conferences and have become active with CanSAR, an organization of radon-induced lung cancer survivors promoting radon awareness.
Since I was diagnosed with lung cancer, I have strongly encouraged my family and friends to have their homes tested for radon. Six families I know had high levels of radon and had to have the radon mitigation system installed in their homes.
If I can help save even one life by telling people about the dangers of radon, then my unfortunate experience as a lung cancer survivor will have added meaning and purpose to my life.
January is National Radon Action Month - Get Plugged In
- Check out EPA resources: www.epa.gov/radon/nram
- RadonLeaders.org also has a National Radon Action Month page, where you can access resources and share your story: www.radonleaders.org/nram
Barbara Sorgatz
Community Support Services Consultant
Division of Community Health & Prevention, Illinois Department of Human Services
United States