Calgary researchers collecting toenail clippings for cancer research
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CALGARY – Calgary researchers want your toenail clippings.
The pesky, razor-sharp slices that end up in a dusty corner, or stuck to the bottom of your feet, are needed for a lung cancer pilot study.
Dr. Aaron Goodarzi from the University of Calgary says measuring radioactive lead in toenails can help estimate long-term exposure to radon.
The colourless, odourless, radioactive gas forms naturally when certain metals break down in rocks, soil and groundwater, and it goes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes.
It’s the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canadians, especially for those who don’t smoke.
“After you inhale radon, it quite quickly transforms into a specific type of radioactive lead. Your body treats radioactive lead from radon like it does all lead and stores it in slow-shedding tissues such as the skin, hair and nails,” Goodarzi said in a news release Wednesday.
The Canadian Cancer Society-funded project is hoping to recruit 10,000 Canadians — and their toenails.
Participants must test their homes for radon and send in their toenails for analysis.
“If this validation trial works, it could transform the future landscape of cancer prevention in Canada,” Goodarzi said.
“The data will form the evidence that could lead to the inclusion of more patients, whose lung cancer is not caused by tobacco smoke, in potentially life-saving early screening and diagnosis.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2025.