On Wednesday December 18 at 08:30 GMT, the European Radon Association (ERA) will be hosting a webinar entitled, “Radon & Lung Cancer: Advancing toward the next step in Precision Medicine”. The webinar will be presented by Laura Mezquita MD, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Barcelona (Spain), Thoracic Oncology Group, Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clinic, Laboratory of Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapies in Solid Tumours, IDIBAPS. To register for this webinar, click here.
Radon is a decay product from the radioactive element radium226, which in turn is a decay product of Uranium238, found naturally in soil. As radon is a gas it easily leaks from the soil into houses through tiny cracks in foundations and walls. In terms of air pressure, a house is an insulated heated environment (as opposed to breathing outside), so the probability of radon exposure is much higher indoors. Due to this, high concentrations of radon can easily build up. Radon gas is radioactive and when it enters the lungs it emits alpha radiation from its decay which harms human pulmonary tissues which over time can lead to lung cancer.
Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Europe, second only to smoking. In fact, 20% of lung cancer patients are non-smokers. However, there is a distinct lack of public awareness about the dangers of radon and its inherent cancer risk.
Despite its recognized carcinogenic role, radon’s specific molecular, immune, and clinical profiles in patients with lung cancer remains unexplored. In this webinar, Laura will summarize the main evidence available and preliminary data of collaborative research that aims to establish a comprehensive radon-specific lung cancer profile. The findings are expected to advance precision medicine strategies tailored to radon-exposed Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).
