Radon's reach goes beyond the lungs
Two 2026 studies link radon exposure to brain and ovarian cancer. Utah homes have some of the highest radon levels in the nation. Request a free test kit today.
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Data and guidance sourced from
The Research
Radon doesn't just damage the lungs
For decades, radon has been understood as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Two major studies published in 2026 add brain and ovarian cancer to that list.
Brain and CNS cancer
49 percent higher risk in homes with the highest radon levels
A prospective cohort study of 159,391 postmenopausal women followed for nearly 18 years found that those living in homes with the highest radon concentrations had a significantly elevated risk of malignant brain and central nervous system cancers (hazard ratio 1.49, 95 percent CI 1.12 to 1.99). Researchers estimated residential radon exposure may account for roughly 20 percent of CNS cancer cases in the study population.
Mowrer, Whitsel, Bozigar, et al. Oregon State University, UNC Chapel Hill, Harvard, and others. DOI 10.1159/ned/adwag017
Ovarian cancer
31 percent higher risk in homes with high radon
A 31 year cohort study of 127,547 postmenopausal women from the Women’s Health Initiative found women living in high radon homes (above 4 pCi/L) had a 31 percent higher risk of ovarian cancer and a 38 percent higher risk of serous ovarian cancer, the most lethal subtype. Ovarian cancer mortality was also significantly elevated.
Williamson, Whitsel, Smith, et al. University of North Dakota and others. DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.8641
Together, the studies make clear what lung cancer researchers have long suspected: radon’s radioactive decay products don’t just damage lung tissue. They enter the bloodstream, reach internal organs, and may contribute to a wider range of cancers than public health guidance has acknowledged.
Why Utah
Nearly half of Utah homes test above the WHO threshold
Utah sits atop uranium rich geology. According to data from Alpha Energy Laboratories, which has analyzed more than 115,000 Utah radon tests, nearly half of Utah homes test above the World Health Organization’s recommended mitigation threshold of 2.7 pCi/L.
Some Utah cities, including Beaver, Wellsville, and parts of Wasatch County, regularly produce test results more than three times the WHO threshold.
Yet only an estimated 18 percent of American homes have ever been tested. Most Utah families have no idea what their radon level is.
of Utah homes test above the WHO mitigation threshold of 2.7 pCi/L
Utah radon tests analyzed by Alpha Energy Laboratories
pCi/L measured in Beaver, more than 15 times the WHO threshold
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Highest radon levels in Utah
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Sources
- Mowrer C, Whitsel EA, Bozigar M, et al. Residential radon concentration and the risk of malignant brain and central nervous system cancer in United States postmenopausal women. Neuroepidemiology, September 2026. Read the study
- Williamson MR, Whitsel EA, Smith RL, et al. Residential Radon Levels and Ovarian Cancer Among Postmenopausal Women. JAMA Network Open, April 2026. Read the study
- Radon data from Alpha Energy Laboratories, based on more than 115,000 Utah radon tests.