Publication Name	World Journal of Clinical Oncology
Manuscript ID	121469
DOI	10.5306/wjco.121469
Country	United States

Category	Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Manuscript Type	Minireviews
Article Title	From residue to cancer risk: How thirdhand smoke drives cancer hallmarks
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Jian-Hua Mao and Hang Chang
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number the University of California Tobacco Related Disease Research Program (UC TRDRP) No. T32PT6221
Corresponding Author	Hang Chang, PhD, Principal Investigator, Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Berkeley Biomedical Data Science Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States. hchang@lbl.gov
Key Words	Environmental carcinogenesis; Thirdhand smoke; Cancer hallmarks; Nicotine-derived tobacco-specific nitrosamines; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Heavy metals; Risk assessment
Core Tip	Thirdhand smoke (THS) represents a persistent and underrecognized environmental carcinogen whose complex chemical mixture drives cancer-relevant biological processes beyond the window of active smoking. By integrating THS-induced molecular and cellular perturbations, such as DNA damage, epigenetic reprogramming, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation, within the framework of the hallmarks of cancer, a systems-level paradigm for carcinogenic risk assessment emerges. This approach moves beyond traditional single-endpoint toxicology to capture the cumulative, multi-pathway impact of chronic low-dose exposures. Applying this framework to THS reveals how residual tobacco toxicants synergistically disrupt multiple cancer hallmarks, providing a mechanistically grounded basis for evaluating long-term cancer risk and informing environmental health policy.
Citation	Mao JH, Chang H. From residue to cancer risk: how thirdhand smoke drives cancer hallmarks. World J Clin Oncol 2026; In press DOI: https://doi.org/10.5306/wjco.121469

Received	2026-03-25 00:43
Peer-Review Started	2026-03-25 00:45
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-04-04 02:35
Return for Revision	2026-04-04 02:35
Revised	2026-04-13 17:03
Publication Fee Transferred	2026-04-17 18:20
Second Decision by Editor	2026-06-02 02:42
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-06-02 08:38
Articles in Press	2026-06-02 08:38
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2218-4333 (online)
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