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Monday, October 10, 2011

Radon Activities in Comprehensive Cancer Control Programs – Finding the Gaps to Connect Existing Resources.

Introduction
Radon is a radioactive gas and the second leading cause of lung cancer. Most states have federally-funded radon programs. Radon testing and remediation is relatively inexpensive. Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) programs may be aware of this existing resource. 

Methods
All currently-available CCC plans (65) and interim progress reports were reviewed for the terms “radon,” “radiation,” or “lung.” Actions to address radon exposure were categorized into: education, testing, remediation, or policy development/evaluation.

Results
62% (n=40) of all plans had terminology that could be associated with radon yet only 38% (n=25) explicitly addressed it. Radon education was the most common action (25 plans) followed by: home testing (20), remediation (10), policy development/revision (10), and policy evaluation (1). 

Conclusion
CCC programs may not be aware of the link between radon exposure and lung cancer. CCC programs and radon programs should consider collaborative efforts to leverage scarce resources to address radon exposure.

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