Shining a Light on Health Inequities & Cancer Part II: Dr. Stacy Stanifer
Dr. Stacy Stanifer has been working with cancer patients throughout her career. “I’ve always loved cancer nursing,” she says, “but over time I’ve realized so many cancers could be prevented.”
This prompted her to return to the UK College of Nursing for her PhD and led to her interest in lung cancer and radon. “Most people don’t realize what a threat radon is. Radon is responsible for nearly 22,000 lung cancer deaths annually and is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. When you have exposure to both radon and tobacco, you have a 10-fold greater risk of developing lung cancer. Because of Kentucky’s radon risk potential, high smoking rates and lack of smoke-free laws, we have the perfect storm for the over-representation of lung cancer,” says Stanifer, a member of the UK College of Nursing’s BREATHE Team and Markey’s Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program and Lung Cancer Translational Research Group.
“Thankfully, there are ways to reduce exposure to radon. Yet many Kentuckians either can’t afford the cost of radon mitigation or don’t have access to certified radon mitigators,“ says Dr. Stanifer. “I’ve always loved cancer nursing, but over time I’ve realized so many cancers could be prevented.”
In an effort to reduce the incidence of lung cancer, she is reaching out to health care providers, particularly in underserved areas, to encourage practitioners to talk with patients about radon and recommend they test their homes.
In addition, the BREATHE team is working to identify opportunities that would make mitigation affordable and available for everyone. For example, Dr. Stanifer received a grant to increase access to radon services for rural Kentuckians. The grant supports two home construction professionals in becoming certified in radon measurement and mitigation. The individuals were recruited from rural counties that are currently without radon mitigation services. The grant will evaluate how radon services were integrated into their current business plan and track mitigation efforts.
Read this full six-part series: Shining a Light on Health Inequities & Cancer: Nurse researchers are helping vulnerable populations battle the deadly disease
