AARST_Radon_Reporter_Q42025

10 | DECEMBER 2025 Prevention is Achievable Radon exposure is both measurable and modifiable. Testing a home is simple, inexpensive, and widely accessible. Mitigation systems are highly effective and cost between one thousand and two thousand dollars on average. In contrast, treating lung cancer can cost over seventy thousand dollars per patient, not including the profound personal and societal toll of the disease. Supporting testing and mitigation in high-exposure regions offers a clear path to prevention. Policy and Public-Health Action Reducing radon-related lung cancer requires coordinated action. Public education campaigns must raise awareness about testing and mitigation. Housing and building standards should ensure radon-resistant construction. Financial support, through subsidies or tax credits, is essential to help homeowners reduce risk. Screening policies must integrate environmental exposures to ensure high-risk individuals are not overlooked. A Call to Action As I emphasized in my keynote, radon is invisible, but our response to it should not be. As a thoracic surgeon, I see the consequences of inaction every day, but I also see hope. With awareness, evidence-based policy, and prevention, we can change the trajectory of lung cancer in Canada. We must make radon testing a routine part of homeownership and tenancy, provide financial support for mitigation in high-risk regions, expand lung cancer screening to include environmental risk factors, and educate clinicians, policymakers, and the public about radon’s role in cancer. Radon-induced lung cancer is preventable. We have the data, the tools, and the clinical insight. What we need now is commitment from individuals, communities, and governments to test, mitigate, and educate. Let us make radon visible. Let us make it urgent. And let us make it actionable. LUNG CANCER