Preventing lung cancers caused by combined exposure to radon and wildfire smoke 

Principal Investigator:
Aaron Goodarzi, University of Calgary  

• Maria Aristizabal, Queen’s University 
• Darren Brenner, University of Calgary
• Doreen Ezeife, University of Calgary
• Frank Jirik, University of Calgary
• Alison Wallace, Dalhousie University 

Problem: About 2 in 5 lung cancer cases are linked to breathing radon gas and smoke from wildfires and burning fuels. These exposures and the cancers they cause are increasing – yet awareness of these risks is still low, as are ways to monitor people’s combined exposure so that those that need it can be screened early.

Solution: Dr Goodarzi and his team will measure levels of these non-tobacco causes of cancer within houses across Canada. They will generate a clear understanding of combined exposure to radon and also smoke from wildfires and sources of combustion. They will study how family genetics and the ability of our bodies to repair DNA damage modifies our risk of lung cancer from these environmental pollutants. As they do this, they will increase public awareness, and estimate the modern economic costs of lung cancers to help inform new policies needed to protect Canadians.

Impact: The results will help improve lung cancer screening guidelines and enable earlier diagnosis. They will also help increase awareness and promote reliable health information and policy change to reduce our future exposure to these causes of lung cancer.