Exposure to Wildfires Amplifies Cancer Risk, New Study Finds

Wildfires usually occur in every year in similar areas, with those who live near these regions being exposed to carcinogenic pollutants on a long-term basis. Now new research has discovered a higher incidence of brain tumors and lung cancer in individuals who have been exposed to wildfires.

The research, which was conducted by scientists from McGill University, tracked more than two million Canadians over a period of 20 years. It is the first study to assess how forest fire proximity may influence the risk of cancer. The researchers’ objective was to characterize the relationship between the incidence of several cancer outcomes and residential exposure to wildfires.

One of the researchers, Scott Weichenthal, a professor at McGill’s Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Occupational Health, stated that little was known about the long-term effects that wildfires had on health. He also noted that the research had found that living in close proximity to wildfires increases the risk of some cancers.

The researchers found that individuals who lived within 50 km of wildfires over the last decade had a roughly 5% higher chance of developing lung cancer and a 10% higher chance of developing brain tumors in comparison to those who lived further away. The analysis was led by Jill Korsiak, who stated that wildfires were expected to become longer in duration, more severe and more prevalent in the future as the climate changes; she also noted that wildfires had been recognized as a health issue globally.

Korsiak further noted that wildfires emitted pollutants that were carcinogenic to humans, which suggested that being exposed to them could heighten the risk of cancer in humans. Weichenthal added that wildfires also polluted indoor, soil and aquatic environments as well as air quality. He explained that pollutants such as hydrocarbons and heavy metals persisted in the environment for extended periods, which meant that being exposed to harmful pollutants in the environment could continue even after active burning had ceased.

In their report, the researchers noted that more research needs to be conducted in order to understand the complicated mixture of pollutants that were released during wildfires into the environment. They added that further work was also required to develop long-term estimates of the chronic effects that wildfires had on human health.

The study’s findings were reported in the “Lancet Planetary Health.” Other researchers involved in the study include Michal Abrahamowic, Richard Burnett, Tanya Christidis and Lauren Pinault. The study was funded by Fonds de recherche du Quebec and the Canadian Institute for Health Research.

The rising toll of various brain cancers has led companies such as CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) to devote significant resources toward the quest for the next generation of therapeutics that will offer better outcomes for patients affected by the oncologic indications affecting the brain.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/CNSP

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