Detecting Lung Cancer Blog

General asbestos exposure is common, and—in the case of environmental asbestos found in soil, air and water—not harmful, as it naturally occurs at levels too low to cause damage.

In honor of January, the recent and often overlooked Radon Awareness Month, I want to share my personal concerns about exposure to radon and the risk of this deadly carcinogen.

I was 11 years old when my sister Tina was born. We lived in a small, three bedroom ranch house in suburban St. Louis. As my family grew, it became readily apparent that trying to fit five people into the small house wasn’t practical, and something needed to be done.

It was decided it was time to move the soon-to-be-teenager into the basement.

One of the risk factors for lung cancer can be attributed to a family history of the disease. It should also be noted that  cancer in a close relative does not necessarily have be lung cancer to still pose a risk.

Studies have shown that certain occupations potentially increase the risk of lung cancer among both men and women.

“Occupational Risk Factors for Lung Cancer among U.S. Women” reports that “2-20% of lung cancer deaths in women are estimated to be due to classic industrial lung carcinogens, or workplace exposure to side-stream smoke or radon.”

Everyone has been exposed to asbestos, but for most people it is not a lung cancer risk factor. The mineral is present in the environment, in soil, air and water, but environmental asbestos of this kind occurs at levels too low to cause harm.