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January 30, 2025
Media contact: Erica Heartquist, 503-871-8843, PHD.Communications@oha.oregon.gov
Cancer survivor advocates for home radon testing
PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon Health Authority recognizes National Radon Action Month during January by encouraging people in the state to test their homes for radon and, if necessary, hire a professional to reduce the radon levels.
Clare Lewis, 67, of The Dalles, is advocating for home radon testing after she says radon caused her lung cancer.
“After I was diagnosed with cancer of the lung, it was totally shocking because I'm not a smoker, and I, like a lot of people, assume that most people who get lung cancer, it’s as a result of smoking,” Lewis says.
“But come to find out that there are other reasons people get cancer of the lungs and the second cause, the second leading cause of lung cancer, is from radon exposure. I had never even heard of radon. When I found out that this was something that could have been totally avoided, if I had known. We checked our house to see if there were high radon levels and the levels were through the roof.”
To read the detailed blog and hear Lewis talk about her lung cancer and radon awareness journey, visit this link.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can build up in homes, and testing is the only way to know if a home has radon because it is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas.
Lewis says getting her home tested was easy.
“You can either have a company come and do the testing for you, or you can buy your own radon detector. There are detectors that you can buy from most hardware stores,” she said.
The best time to test for radon is during the colder months, when windows and doors are closed up tight. That’s why National Radon Action Month occurs in January – at the heart of winter.
For more video of Lewis sharing her story, visit this link.
For more information about radon, contact OHA’s Radon Awareness Program at radon.program@state.or.us or visit www.healthoregon.org/radon.
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