Study of the Impact of Air Pollution on Non-Smoking-Associated Lung Cancer with EGFR Driver Mutations and Preventive Healthcare Application of a Novel Air Pollution Tracking Device

Vijayalakshmi Ramshankar of the Cancer Institute (WIA) in India will perform a study of air pollution's effects on lung cancer in India. To focus on the links specifically with air pollution they will recruit non-smoking lung cancer patients in the city of Chennai. They will screen these patients for EGFR driver mutations, known to promote air pollution-related lung cancer, and measure the cytokine and miRNA profiles in their blood through periodic sampling. They will also perform this blood analysis in patients' asymptomatic household family members, who will be offered further testing (low-dose spiral CT scanning) for early cancer detection. Air pollution will be assessed in these households using a device for continuously monitoring indoor exposure. They will perform statistical analysis combining the biological and environmental data to better understand how air pollution affects lung cancer risk and to identify a high-risk signature to guide early screening.