Radon gas

I thank Dr Garcia-Rodriguez for raising the important public health issue of radon gas and its role in lung cancer in the July issue of Canadian Family Physician.¹

In addition to the information shared in the article,¹ I encourage family physicians to implement radon screening as they would other screening interventions. This includes discussing the risks of the screening intervention with patients.

There are 2 substantial risks to radon screening that I believe are important to convey to patients. First, physicians should be aware of the applicable real estate law as it relates to property disclosure statements in their province. A patient who is aware of high radon levels in his or her home might have a legal obligation to disclose this information to potential buyers, which might affect property value. Second, physicians should understand if their patients have the financial means to undertake radon mitigation should levels be elevated. This is imperative with respect to informed decision making.

I agree with Dr Garcia-Rodriguez that advocacy with the federal and provincial government to support health equity in access to radon mitigation strategies continues to be important.¹

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