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Lung cancer is most often linked to smoking, but due to our exposure to cancer-causing substances such as arsenic, radon gas and air pollution, lung cancer can also occur in people who have never smoked.

Yet in several provinces in Canada where screening programs are being implemented for people at high-risk of lung cancer, only a person’s age and smoking history are currently considered in the risk assessment.

A team led by Dalhousie University researchers is working to make sure environmental factors are considered when assessing a person’s risk of lung cancer.

With $5 million in funding from the Canadian Cancer Society, the team will use state-of-the-art technology and patient experience to identify biological markers of risk related to arsenic, radon and air pollution. It will also develop a monitoring system for air pollution to better understand how it affects our cells and elevates cancer risk.

The results of this research will provide vital information around environmental exposures to improve personalized lung cancer risk assessment, inform screening criteria and programs, and improve lung cancer early detection efforts across Canada.

Dr. Robin Urquhart, an associate professor in Dal's Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, is leading the research and is available to discuss how exploring the effects of environmental exposures in non-smokers could help detect cancer earlier and save lives.

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Media contact:

Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca