Radon RESEARCH Series
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Transdisciplinary Scientific Approaches for New Solutions
While smoking tobacco remains responsible for about 3 of 5 cases of lung cancers in Canada , other toxicants such as arsenic , radioactive radon gas , air pollution , and certain genetic factors are thought to be major drivers for the remaining 40 %. Current lung cancer screening programs only use a person ’ s age , tobacco smoking behaviour , family history of cancer , and certain demographic variables for risk assessment , excluding environmental factors due to the absence of reliable exposure assessment tools .
Funded by the Canadian Cancer Society in what is called a “ Breakthrough Grant ” aimed at prevention and early detection solutions for high-lethality cancer types , a dedicated new coalition of researchers from across Canada is poised to reshape the paradigm of lung cancer risk assessment .
Leveraging diverse expertise from across Canada and cutting-edge infrastructure funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation , this team of scientists spanning many different disciplines endeavours to pinpoint reliable and practical new “ biomarkers ” associated with arsenic , radon , and / or air pollution exposure .
The approach this team will take includes developing : ( 1 ) a completely new way of assessing a person ' s long-term radon exposure using the tell-tale accumulation of radon decay products in toenails , coupling this with a measure of ( 2 ) arsenic levels in bodies and signs of exposure within blood , and ( 3 ) merging this with a new air pollution monitoring system for PM2.5 ( air pollution ) particles .
The research also delves into effective communication strategies to raise awareness about these environmental risks and influence the evolution of lung cancer screening programs . Anticipated outcomes of this research encompass actionable insights into environmental exposures , refining personalized lung cancer risk assessment , informing screening criteria and programs , and enhancing early detection efforts nationwide .
THIS WORK IS BEING FUNDED BY :