The Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2009 does not address lung cancer prevention. The bill states that 60% of new lung cancers are in non-smokers, but it makes no mention of radon gas, the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
The bill makes no provision for education about radon or testing of homes to detect elevated radon. There is no assistance for homeowners needing mitigation. There is no incentive for builders to use Radon Resistant New Construction.
Proposed by Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), the bill calls for $75 million in funding for drug research. I met with Senator Feinstein’s Legislative Assistant, Kristen Wikelius, to ask that 10% of the funds go toward lung cancer prevention. I reminded Ms. Wikelius that lung cancer treatment is rarely effective. Lung cancer is nearly always fatal within five years.
I explained the cost-benefit of preventing lung cancer, rather than grasping for treatments that might someday become more effective. A homeowner can test for radon using readily available test kits. The California Department of Public Health sells test kits to residents for $5. Certified labs sell test kits for around $25. A short-term screening test takes just 2-4 days. A more reliable long-term test takes 3 months to a year.
I pointed out to Ms. Wikelius that homes with elevated radon can be fixed for a few thousand dollars. The most cost-effective way to reduce radon in a new home is Radon Resistant New Construction (RRNC). For about $500, RRNC can reduce the radon in a home by about half. If needed, further mitigation of RRNC homes is easy and much less expensive than installing a mitigation system after the home is built.
In contrast, first year treatment of lung cancer victims costs about $125,000. Those treatments are debilitating and rarely successful. I asked that Senator Feinstein amend her bill to address prevention of lung cancer.
Senator Feinstein’s aid was not willing to discuss lung cancer prevention. She said the bill will not include radon testing or education about radon. The word radon will not appear in the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act. The one meager concession was to include EPA’s Radon Division in discussions concerning lung cancer.
Not much searching was needed to find the source of Senator Feinstein’s position on lung cancer. Pfizer, the largest pharmaceutical company in the country, invested $522 million in their La Jolla Laboratories near San Diego, CA. Sutent®, developed by Pfizer at La Jolla, is now in clinical trials for lung cancer treatment. Pfizer made $1.6 million in political contributions in 2008.
Amgen, the world’s largest biotech company, is based in Thousand Oaks, CA. Amgen has focused much of its research on treatments for cancer. Motesanib, developed by Amgen, is now in clinical trials for lung cancer treatment. Amgen made $1.3 million in political contributions in 2008.
Since 1989, Senator Feinstein has received over $1.4 million dollars in contributions from the Health Sector, according to OpenSecrets.org. Has Senator Feinstein allowed pharma companies in her constituency to guide her position on lung cancer? Is the Senator’s lack of interest in lung cancer prevention is due financial support from companies that provide drugs for treatment?
Constituents wishing to ask Senator Feinstein those questions can contact her here: email for Senator Diane Feinstein.
Photo from Senator Feinstein’s photo gallery.
Related articles:
Lung Cancer Victims Blame Radon: Call Government Policy a “Deadly and Impotent Failure”
California Real Estate Agents Provide Misinformation about Radon
Worries About Granite Lead to California Homes with Radon
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We put 6 radon detectors in our showroom. We placed them directly on and around granite slab pieces, including our desktops. They were left for the required amount of time and mailed back to the agency from which we received them…and the report we got back told us we had background radiation lower than the acceptable indoor amounts…
We wanted to know. We became aggressive and found out. We feel perfectly safe in offering granite to our clients. We are not negating anyone’s health concerns for themselves and their families with this information. We are not experts in background radiation…so we went to the experts.
We remember a time when there was an outcry about radiation coming from color tv sets…and testing showed there was more radiation coming from the lions in front of the library on 5th Ave than from anyone’s television.
That said, we know it is not a joke to care about the air we breath or to want to protect your family from unnecessary toxins…but the granite in your kitchen, with few exceptions, is not one of them.
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We put 6 radon detectors in our showroom. We placed them directly on and around granite slab pieces, including our desktops. They were left for the required amount of time and mailed back to the agency from which we received them…and the report we got back told us we had background radiation lower than the acceptable indoor amounts…
We wanted to know. We became aggressive and found out. We feel perfectly safe in offering granite to our clients. We are not negating anyone’s health concerns for themselves and their families with this information. We are not experts in background radiation…so we went to the experts.
We remember a time when there was an outcry about radiation coming from color tv sets…and testing showed there was more radiation coming from the lions in front of the library on 5th Ave than from anyone’s television.
That said, we know it is not a joke to care about the air we breath or to want to protect your family from unnecessary toxins…but the granite in your kitchen, with few exceptions, is not one of them.
Ilene,
Radon tests kits do not measure radiation.
The only way to measure radiation is with instruments designed specifically for that purpose. We use a Ludlum 19, a PM1703 gamma dosimeter, and Arrowtech gamma dosimeters.
We provide film badges for homeowners to test their own granite. A film badge taped to the surface of the granite for a week will measure the radiation emitted from the stone. The badge is analyzed by a lab, and they provide a report giving the amount of radiation emitted.
Ilene,
Radon tests kits do not measure radiation.
The only way to measure radiation is with instruments designed specifically for that purpose. We use a Ludlum 19, a PM1703 gamma dosimeter, and Arrowtech gamma dosimeters.
We provide film badges for homeowners to test their own granite. A film badge taped to the surface of the granite for a week will measure the radiation emitted from the stone. The badge is analyzed by a lab, and they provide a report giving the amount of radiation emitted.
Radon comes from the decay of radium. I wonder if the issue is where the granite is quarried from.
Radon comes from the decay of radium. I wonder if the issue is where the granite is quarried from.
Thank you, Linda. We appreciate your answer. We have been questioned once in the past regarding radon. Well, at least we are looking for answers…!
We have hundreds of different granites in the showroom, not counting slabs on desks, etc. Would the testing you described give accurate answers with that much material? I would say everything in the room has been out of the ground for 3+ years and is from all over the world-Argentina, Brazil, Africa, etc.
Thank you again
Ilene
Thank you, Linda. We appreciate your answer. We have been questioned once in the past regarding radon. Well, at least we are looking for answers…!
We have hundreds of different granites in the showroom, not counting slabs on desks, etc. Would the testing you described give accurate answers with that much material? I would say everything in the room has been out of the ground for 3+ years and is from all over the world-Argentina, Brazil, Africa, etc.
Thank you again
Ilene