Trinity researcher contributes to landmark European Cancer Prevention Code

Posted on: 20 October 2025

Professor Quentin Crowley, from the Discipline of Geology in Trinity’s School of Natural Sciences, has contributed to the fifth edition of the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC5), which officially launched this weekend at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Berlin.

The European Code Against Cancer, which can be downloaded here, is a flagship initiative of the European Commission that provides evidence-based recommendations to help Europeans reduce their cancer risk through lifestyle and environmental choices.

Developed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO) in Lyon, France, ECAC5 represents a four-year, European Commission-funded project that forms a cornerstone of the World Code Against Cancer Framework.

Expertise in environmental cancer risk

Professor Crowley, Director of the Trinity Centre for the Environment, served as an expert member with a specific focus on Environment and Occupational Risk. This working group assessed the scientific evidence on exposures and preventive measures related to air, water, soil and food contaminants, ionising and non-ionising radiation, and occupational risks, to develop new and revised recommendations for cancer prevention.

Professor Crowley's contribution draws on his extensive research expertise in environmental radioactivity and its impact on human health.

His groundbreaking work on radon exposure has demonstrated that this naturally occurring radioactive gas is responsible for approximately 350 lung cancer cases in Ireland annually. In a world first, he integrated geological data with indoor radon measurements, which was subsequently used as a basis to produce Ireland's current legislative radon map, hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency.

“My research on environmental radioactivity and radon exposure provides crucial insights for cancer prevention, and I was delighted to share that expertise when contributing to the new European Code Against Cancer.”

Professor Quentin Crowley in Trinity

“My involvement exemplifies how geological expertise can directly contribute to public health initiatives and cancer prevention strategies. Our collective hope as a wider group is that the new Code will ultimately protect more people from cancer and thus make a significant societal impact.”

Global impact and future dissemination

The ECAC5 project involved approximately 80 regional experts distributed across five working groups, the Scientific Committee, the Advocacy Group, and the IARC Secretariat in a collaborative multidisciplinary effort. The English version launched at ESMO 2025 will be followed by translations into all official EU languages, with a multilingual release anticipated for World Cancer Day on 4 February 2026.

This milestone represents the latest update of the European Code Against Cancer produced under the World Code Against Cancer Framework, which aims to develop regional cancer prevention codes tailored to epidemiological factors specific to different global regions.

The launch at ESMO 2025, provided a premier global oncology platform to present these potentially practice-changing cancer prevention recommendations to clinicians, researchers, and healthcare industry representatives worldwide.

Trinity College Dublin's contribution to ECAC5 through Professor Crowley's expertise demonstrates the university's commitment to addressing global health challenges through interdisciplinary research that bridges the natural sciences with public health and environmental protection.

For more information about Professor Crowley's research, the Trinity Centre for the Environment, and Trinity College Dublin's environmental sciences programmes, visit www.tcd.ie.

Media Contact:

Thomas Deane | Media Relations | deaneth@tcd.ie | +353 1 896 4685