November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and Radon is a Leading Cause of Lung Cancer in Cortland County

Matt Brooks: [00:00:00] Good morning. I’m Matt Brooks on X 1 0 1 Always Classic in for another cancer prevention segment with the CSP program of Cayuga, Cortland and Tompkins Counties. With me, Courtney Maxson, senior public health educator from the Cortland County Health Department, and well, it’s already November. What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish before we get started?

Courtney Maxson: I love the Thanksgiving Turkey.

Matt Brooks: It’s, that’s, I mean, the main course, hard to beat that for me. I love the carbs, so stuffing and, especially if we get like some Cheddar Bay biscuits in there, that’s delicious. Yeah. If I could just live off carbs, I, I would, but we’re not talking about carbs, we’re not talking about Thanksgiving.

During the cancer prevention segment, we’re talking about ways to help prevent cancer and. The awareness month for November. It’s a lot of people get lung cancer, right? It’s National Cancer Awareness Month. Absolutely. And tell me about the cancer before we talk about the prevention methods.

Courtney Maxson: Lung cancer, is one of the top cancer diseases and deaths cause of death in New York State.

Matt Brooks: And it’s, it’s amazing how, how high the [00:01:00] statistics are. It’s, it’s one of the leading causes of death amongst cancers, but it’s also one of the ones that we can take a lot of precautions towards. And before we got on air, you’re talking about, radon and well smoking, of course.

Courtney Maxson: Yes. Radon is one of the major contributors of lung cancer in Cortland County.

Cortland County has a really high level of radon in many of our homes.

Matt Brooks: And it’s, that’s unfortunate. And it’s, it’s kind of like a silent killer. ’cause you don’t know it’s there until it’s already exposed to you for long enough.

Courtney Maxson: Absolutely. So, one of the things you can do is test your home, especially in these months where your home is closed up, the windows are closed and the doors are closed.

It’s. Time to get, a test kit. And we have a healthy neighborhoods program right here in Cortland County that can help with that. Their number is 6 0 7 4 2 8 5 4 1 0,

Matt Brooks: and the test kits are, are really easy. They’re take home test kits, which. Probably makes sense for a, for a home test, but, it’s, it’s [00:02:00] really easy.

It’s free. And I, that test could be what helps, like, save you from possibly getting lung cancer down the line.

Courtney Maxson: Absolutely. Especially if you’re not a smoker, that’s one of the major contributors. And if you are a smoker, that’s a even, higher risk. Higher, absolutely.

Matt Brooks: Now, now speaking of smoking, I mean. I, I, I, I, I was, I’m old enough to remember the DARE program, smoking.

It’s a, it’s a leading cause of cancer. And not only do you have the cigarettes and the cigars and such, there’s vaping now too. Yes,

Courtney Maxson: yes. So we all know smoking is bad for us, but it’s the vapes as well. They’re not good for us either. And if you wanna quit. Now’s the time.

Matt Brooks: Yeah. No, no. Sooner than the present is the best time to quit smoking.

And, but it is an addicting, it’s an addicting, habit. Absolutely. Where, where do people go if they need help?

Courtney Maxson: New York State has, the smokers Quitline that is available to New Yorkers, and it can be accessed at one eight. Six, [00:03:00] six NY quits. And they can get more information about quitting and cessation, and supports to help that journey.

Matt Brooks: Yeah. And it, it’s, it’s more important than ever, especially with later this year where it’s just getting colder. You’re gonna be locked up in your home. So, I mean, anything you can do, it is one of the biggest. CA cancers that we have to face in in modern day.

Courtney Maxson: Absolutely.

Matt Brooks: All right. Well we are unfortunately running out of time.

Courtney, if people need to reach you about possibly getting a cancer screening, especially if they don’t have health insurance, where should people go?

Courtney Maxson: They can call me at (607) 758-5523 or you can visit us on our Cortland County Health Department webpage.

Matt Brooks: Alright, well. As always, great to speak with you, Courtney, and can’t wait to see what we talk about in December.

Courtney Maxson: Thanks so much. Make sure you have those elastic eating pants.

Matt Brooks: Oh yeah. It’s been another edition of the cancer Prevention segment here on X 1 0 1. I am Matt Brooks.