A new study published in Nature Communications has identified measurable molecular changes in human blood that may help explain how long-term air pollution exposure contributes to lung cancer. Outdoor air pollution is already recognized as a human carcinogen and a major environmental risk factor for lung cancer. Researchers analyzed stored blood samples from 1,357 people enrolled in the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study cohorts. By combining blood-based molecular data with estimates of long-term air pollution exposure and subsequent cancer outcomes, the investigators were able to search for metabolic changes associated with both environmental exposure and future lung cancer risk. Subject of Research: Air pollution exposure, blood metabolomics, and lung cancer riskArticle Title: Blood metabolomic signatures linking air pollution to lung cancer in the Cancer Prevention StudiesNews Publication Date: 11-Aug-2026Web References: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-75116-3; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75116-3References: Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75116-3Keywords: Air pollution, lung cancer, metabolomics, blood biomarkers, oxidative stress, inflammation, environmental health, cancer prevention