International Study Reveals How Air Pollution and Smoke "Awaken" Dormant Cancer Mutations

An international team of oncologists has developed a new method capable of predicting dangerous changes in the lungs five years before conventional screenings can detect a tumor. The results of the study were published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell, as reported by Kursiv.kz.

Scientists discovered that cancer mutations in the body can remain inactive for a long time and are only "awakened" by the effects of tobacco smoke and air pollution, such as vehicle exhaust gases. Utilizing artificial intelligence technology during the research, specialists analyzed proteins in the blood plasma of more than 48,000 individuals. Consequently, it was revealed that the levels of 14 key proteins rise in advance in the blood of patients who may develop lung cancer in the future.

According to the lead researcher, Charles Swanton, these proteins do not originate from the tumor itself, but rather from inflammatory processes within the lungs. This discovery will enable medicine to initiate timely preventive measures against the dangerous disease.

This issue remains highly relevant for Kazakhstan as well. Currently, a "green corridor" system has been implemented in the country, allowing citizens suspected of having oncological diseases to undergo medical examinations without waiting in lines. According to the Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Akmaral Alnazarova, the adopted measures have resulted in an increase in the early-stage cancer detection rate across the republic, significantly improving patient survival rates.