Grant: Project Grant

The poor prognosis for lung cancer patients is typically associated with a late stage of disease at the time of diagnosis, highlighting the need for effective methods for early detection. It has recently been demonstrated that low-dose computed tomographic (LDCT) screening of patients at high-risk of developing lung cancer reduces improves survival outcomes, providing strong evidence that this approach may be useful for early cancer detection. With the coming legalization of marijuana in Canada, it is anticipated that more individuals will either increase or start smoking cannabis. However, very little is known about the effects associated with smoking marijuana and whether this influences lung cancer risk. We hypothesize that marijuana smoking induces mutations that promote lung cancer. We will test this through the treatment of mice with marijuana smoke and compare directly to tobacco smoke. We will also aim to determine what compounds contained in marijuana smoke might cause cancer and how it differs from tobacco smoke. Lastly, we will assess whether some patients might have developed cancer specifically from marijuana smoking. Together, this study will determine for the first time whether or not smoking marijuana is a significant health concern and how this information can be used to improve screening protocols aimed at the early detection of lung cancer.