Published Apr 26, 2026

32-Year-Old Woman, Who Never Smoked, Thought Lingering Cough Was Either Asthma, Bronchitis, or Allergies. It Turned Out To Be Late-Stage Lung Cancer

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Understanding Lung Cancer

Jaymie Knox, a non-smoker diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2018, is now in medically induced remission and uses her experience to raise awareness for the disease.
Knox never smoked and has no family history of cancer. She suspects she may have had Radon exposure.
Radon, odorless and invisible, originates from elements found in rocks and soil. Roughly 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year originate from radon exposure, according to the American Cancer Society.
This type of gas can enter homes through cracks in floors, walls, or foundations, and collect indoors. It can also be released from building materials, or from water obtained from wells that contain radon, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Kevin Stewart, director of environmental health for the American Lung Association, previously told SurvivorNet tells us there’s no known “perfectly safe” level of exposure to radon, adding, “Like lung cancer caused by tobacco smoking, lung cancer caused by exposure to high levels of radon is preventable.”

Jaymie Knox, a non-smoker who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer just two weeks after getting married, initially suspected her persistent cough to either be bronchitis, allergies, or asthma, like her doctor thought.

The avid kickboxer ultimately learned she had cancer in 2018, after a second opinion led to an X-ray of her lungs, revealing her left lung was “either covered in fluid or a mass,” prompting an urgent trip to the hospital.

In an effort to raise awareness, she told USA Today in a recent interview, “People think if you don’t smoke, you’re not going to get lung cancer. The truth of the matter is, is all you need is lungs to get lung cancer, and that’s it.

“It doesn’t matter if you smoke, if you don’t smoke. Those are just risk factors. Same as breast cancer. All you need is breasts to get breast cancer. And everybody has them.”

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Knox, who insists she’s never smoked and has no family history of cancer, described becoming increasingly alarmed with her condition when she began struggling to catch her breath during runs.

The X-ray which discovered she had fluid in her lungs then led to Knox undergoing a chest-tube procedure to drain more than two liters of water from her lungs.

She recalled, “I was essentially kickboxing and doing all these things while carrying a two-liter bottle of soda equivalent in my chest.”

Although it’s unclear what led to her diagnosis, Knox suspects she may have had radon exposure. Radon is an odorless and invisible gas which originates from elements found in rocks and soil. Roughly 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year originate from radon exposure, according to the American Cancer Society.

Knox, who is now in a medically-induced remission, praises biomarker testing— which involves identifying specific aspects of how cancer behaves—for helping her receive the best treatment.

Biomarker testing has rapidly become a cornerstone of modern cancer care, reshaping the way doctors diagnose, treat, and monitor various cancer pathologies. By identifying specific genetic, molecular, or protein markers linked to cancer growth, biomarker testing allows oncologists to tailor treatments to the specific characteristics of each patient’s tumor — potentially creating treatment plans that work better and cause fewer side effects.

She told USA Today, “I’ve been told by the doctors, ‘Chemo and radiation wouldn’t have worked for you at all.’ So if I had a care team who didn’t care at all, I wouldn’t be here.”

Biomarker Testing — A Path to Better Outcomes for Cancer Patients

As her future treatment plan is unclear, Knox is determined to make the most of her life.

Knox, now a foster mother of two and approaching her 40th birthday, added, “There are many variations of cancer, and it looks like everyday people.

“I was a living, breathing, thriving, funny, energetic and happy person before cancer. And I try my best to be that same person after diagnosis.”

Understanding Where Radon Comes From

Knox suspects she may have had exposure to Radon, an odorless and invisible gas that originates from elements found in rocks and soil.This type of gas can enter homes through cracks in floors, walls, or foundations, and collect indoors. It can also be released from building materials, or from water obtained from wells that contain radon, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

As per the NCI, Radon levels can be higher in homes that are well insulated, tightly sealed, and/or built on soil rich in the elements uranium, thorium, and radium. Basement and first floors typically have the highest radon levels because of their closeness to the ground.

Radon decays quickly, giving off tiny radioactive particles, the NCI says. When inhaled, they can damage the cells that line the lung. Long-term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer, the only cancer proven to be associated with inhaling radon.

Preventing Exposure

The first step to preventing dangerous exposure to radon is determining whether you’re being exposed to it in the first place.

Kevin Stewart, director of environmental health for the American Lung Association, previously told SurvivorNet there is no known “perfectly safe” level of exposure to radon.

He also told us, “Like lung cancer caused by tobacco smoking, lung cancer caused by exposure to high levels of radon is preventable.”

The American Lung Association recommends taking action if the levels are anywhere above 2 pCi/L.4 picocuries of radon per liter of air (a picocurie is a measure of the rate of radioactive decay of radon), while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends taking action if the radon levels present in the lowest floor of your home exceed the national radon action level of 4 pCi/L.

Tips On Keeping Safe

Step One: Determine if You’re Being Exposed

“Testing is inexpensive and easy to do,” says Stewart. Radon testing kits are available at many hardware stores if you’d prefer to conduct the test yourself, but most states have programs through which you can hire a credentialed radon service provider.

The EPA lists two nationally-recognized resources for hiring someone to test (and fix) your home the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) and the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB), though there are many others available.

Step Two: Make Necessary Repairs

“If testing confirms that radon levels are high, then mitigation (repairs) should be done,” says Stewart. “In nearly all cases, fixing a radon problem in a home is a simple and straightforward process, and it’s similar in cost to other home repairs or appliances.”

Repairs might include installing a vent pipe and fan in your home, for instance, which works by pulling radon from beneath your house and redirecting it to the outside.

According to the American Cancer Society, there are also ways to treat your water supply especially if you get your water from a private well — so that radon is removed from the water before it enters your home. If your water comes from a public supply, you may have less direct control, but suppliers are required to take the proper precautions to mitigate radon exposure. If you’re concerned that there may be radon in your public water supply, the best thing to do is to contact your supplier.

Step Three: Avoid Smoking

Although exposure to high levels of radon gas can increase lung cancer risks in both smokers and non-smokers alike, the American Cancer Society points out that the combination of radon exposure and smoking can contribute to an even greater risk.

Step Four: Talk to Your Doctor About Screening

There isn’t an established test that can tell you whether your body has been exposed to radon. Having said that, if you expect that you’ve been exposed to high levels of radon and you are experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, persistent coughing, or tightness in your chest, your doctor may recommend you get screened for lung cancer. Pay attention to your body, and always loop your doctor in if something doesn’t feel right.

Understanding Lung Cancer

Lung cancer forms when cancer cells develop in the tissues of the lung. It is the second most common form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S., SurvivorNet experts say. It’s “completely asymptomatic,” thoracic surgeon-in-chief at Temple University Health System Dr. Joseph Friedberg, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

“It causes no issues until it has spread somewhere. So, if it spreads to the bones, it may cause pain. If it spreads to the brain, it may cause something not subtle, like a seizure,” Dr. Friedberg adds.

WATCH: Detecting lung cancer in the absence of symptoms.

Scans such as X-rays can help doctors determine if a shadow appears, which can prompt further testing for lung cancer.

Lung cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms until it has already spread outside the lungs, according to SurvivorNet’s experts.

There are two main types of lung cancer, which doctors group together based on how they act and how they’re treated:

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type and makes up about 85% of cases.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is less common, but it tends to grow faster than NSCLC and is treated very differently.

Some people with lung cancer may experience symptoms such as:

A cough that doesn’t go away, that gets worse, or that brings up bloody phlegm
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Chest pain
Hoarse voice
Appetite loss
Weight loss

If you are experiencing these kinds of symptoms consistently, contact your doctor for further tests.