Overview

• Researchers are recruiting participants nationwide to test home radon levels and mail toenail clippings for analysis.
• The team measures radioactive lead from radon in nails to estimate an individual's long-term exposure.
• A proof-of-concept published in Environment International found the biomarker approach promising.
• Pilot data indicate two in five Canadians who develop lung cancer do not qualify for current screening, including many who never smoked.
• If validated, findings could inform policy changes to include more non-tobacco cases in screening programs, with results still pending.