Kathy Griffin has revealed her doctors’ theory that her lung cancer may have been caused by radon poisoning.
The comedian, 62, announced that she was diagnosed with the disease in August 2021, before going on to reveal in November of that year that she was cancer-free.
Over the past few months, she has dealt with residual issues from the treatment she underwent, including concerns that her voice may never return to what it was after surgery left it altered to a higher pitch.
On Monday, Griffin discussed details about how her cancer may have developed as she weighed in on a Twitter thread posted by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).
Congressman Swalwell posted a message in which he declared “F*** Cancer,” before asking his followers to retweet the post if they agreed with his assertion that “we should see it ended in our lifetime.”
“How do we beat it?” Swalwell asked in a follow-up post. “1) Robustly fund testing/screening/therapies, 2) Unleash army of docs/scientists into field (unburdened by high cost of college/incentivized to be a part of the cures), 3) More agile FDA, 4) Robustly fund school nutrition awareness, 5) End chemical exposure.”
The final point appeared to resonate with Griffin, who responded from her locked Twitter account in a message viewed by Newsweek: “YES PLEASE. I had lung cancer and I’ve never smoked. Doctors have suggested maybe it was from radon poisoning.”
A product of decaying uranium, radon is a naturally occurring gas that can be traced to soil and rock breaking down. The radioactive gas is odorless, tasteless and invisible, and often enters closed buildings through their foundations undermining indoor air quality.
Most people are largely unaware that their homes could be putting their health at risk this way. The only way to know if radon is in your home is to have a test done. It collects at higher concentrations indoors than outdoors, and levels can fluctuate depending on airflow in the home.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, and it kills approximately 21,000 Americans per year, many of whom are unknowingly poisoned in their homes.
There are several states with radon regulation programs mandating that hazards are disclosed upon the sale of a home, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Following her lung-cancer diagnosis in 2021, Griffin recalled a dark time in her life, when she wrote in a Twitter post: “The last time I was in a hospital was in June 2020 when I tried to take my life and overdosed on prescription pills
“With over a year clean and drug free, I now know I can do this and anything I want without those devil pills,” added the TV personality. “Y’know what? I fear drugs and addiction more than I fear cancer. So, I think I’ll be ok.”
In a TikTok post shared back in October, Griffin revealed that concerns about the change in her voice remained following a visit to a laryngeal surgeon.
“The news isn’t great about my voice,” the Suddenly Susan star said in the video. “I may have kind of maxed out about how much my vocal apparatus can recover from the damage that was done during the lung cancer surgery.
“But we’re gonna try another injection in my left vocal cord first, which is now paralyzed. And then the decision will be, next time do I get the full arytenoid surgery and then a permanent, what they call an implant to my vocal cord. Not the fun place to get an implant.”
Mulling how her altered voice may represent a new normal in her life, Griffin added: “How do I get people to just deal with this being my new voice?”
Griffin revealed that she was cancer-free during a November 2021 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Livewhere she also explained why her voice sounded different.
She told titular host Kimmel: “I had surgery. You’re not going to believe this… I’ve never smoked but I got lung cancer. In August, I had half of my left lung removed I’m not even kidding.”
Explaining that the use of an intubation tube had affected her vocal cord, she quipped: “So now I’m like Minnie Mouse meets Marilyn Monroe.”
“It will heal, but I’m sort of enjoying [my voice],” she continued. “I’m a good two octaves higher, I think… It’s higher than Mariah Carey, I know that.”
Kathy Griffin has revealed her doctors’ theory that her lung cancer may have been caused by radon poisoning.
