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'Pollutants are the silent killer that no one is talking about'

New research into the connection between air pollution and cancer could lead to a sea change in understanding how tumours arise.聽 Scientists from the Francis Crick Institute and Cancer Research UK found that some apparently normal cells in the body harbour dangerous mutations - mutations that turn cancerous, given the trigger of airborne pollution.

Professor Charles Swanton, from University College London, presented the findings at the European Society for Medical Oncology.聽 He explains how this could change our understanding of how cancer develops and the "hope that work like this will open up an opportunity for molecular cancer prevention".

(Photo: Illustration of cancer cells, Credit: stock image via Getty Images)

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3 minutes