Summit County woman diagnosed with lung cancer pleads for all Utahns to test for radon [Video]

Connie Alexakos was a healthy 75-year-old woman when she was diagnosed with lung, bone, and liver cancer. “I thought I had allergies,” Connie shared with UtahRadon.org. “I was coughing a lot and went to my [primary care physician]…we thought it was allergies and kept testing.” After her cough worsened, her doctor eventually ordered a CT scan, then immediately sent her to Huntsman Cancer Institute for a non-smoking lung cancer diagnosis.

Unfortunately, this diagnosis was Connie’s introduction to radon, a radioactive gas you can’t smell that is common in Utah and is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. She wondered how it was possible that she had never heard of it and did the most critical first step you can do after learning about radon — she tested her home.

Living in a home with high radon

Connie ordered a free test from Utah Radon Services for her home and her son’s home — both of which tested high …