Being exposed to radon for a long period of time can lead to lung cancer. Radon gas in the air breaks down into tiny radioactive elements (radon progeny) that can lodge in the lining of the lungs, where they can give off radiation. This radiation can damage lung cells and eventually lead to lung cancer.
Can radon in house cause cancer?
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. If you smoke and live in a home with high radon levels, you increase your risk of developing lung cancer.
Can radon prevent lung cancer?
Based on the HRR model, low-level radon radioactive progeny is credited for activated natural protection (ANP) against lung cancer including smoking-related lung cancer.
What cancers can radon cause?
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
Can radon cause leukemia?
At the current time, there is a possibility that radon in homes, a form of ionizing radiation, may increase the risk of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Radon is a well-known carcinogen, and it’s thought that roughly 27,000 people die from radon-induced lung cancer each year in the United States.
Does radon increase your risk of lung cancer?
When you breathe in radon, radioactive particles from radon gas can get trapped in your lungs. Over time, these radioactive particles increase the risk of lung cancer. It may take years before health problems appear. People who smoke and are exposed to radon are at a greater risk of developing lung cancer .
Is there really any proof that radon causes lung cancer?
Radon was identified as a health problem when scientists noted that underground uranium miners who were exposed to it died of lung cancer at high rates. The results of miner studies have been confirmed by experimental animal studies, which show higher rates of lung tumors among rodents exposed to high radon levels.
How risky is radon for causing lung cancer?
The EPA estimates that radon exposure increases lung cancer risk eight to nine times in smokers compared with nonsmokers . Major scientific organizations believe that radon contributes to approximately 12% of lung cancers annually in the United States. “It’s almost as if smoking sets you up and radon pushes you over the edge,” Dr. Dauer says.
How can someone get lung cancer with radon?
It can creep in from the ground through cracks in the floors or walls . If you breathe in radon over long periods of time, you may end up with lung cancer. That’s because it breaks down into tiny particles that can get into your lungs and damage cells there. Radon is the second most common cause of the disease besides smoking.
