Park City man urges Utahns to test for radon after receiving a non-smoking lung cancer diagnosis [Video]

When people think of lung cancer, they often think of cigarettes. But did you know radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, and one in three Utah homes have dangerous levels?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is abundant in Utah. Park City resident Bill Johnson shared his experience of being diagnosed with stage four non-smoking lung cancer with UtahRadon.org. He hopes his experience will encourage all Utahns to test their homes for radon.

No typical symptoms

After a record-breaking winter, Bill thought he had pulled a muscle in his back from shoveling snow. After months of physical therapy and pain management, Bill eventually became immobile, and an emergency CT scan and MRI showed “wildly metastatic” non-smoking lung cancer that started in his right lung and spread to his brain, spine, and hips.

“I was 43, healthy, an avid mountain biker, skier, trail runner, father of two young …