Introduction: A long-term mission for cancer prevention
Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) is a landmark longitudinal study that aims to uncover why some people develop cancer and chronic diseases while others do not. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024, ATP began recruiting participants in 2000 and now includes more than 55,000 Albertans. By monitoring health and lifestyle over a 50-year horizon, ATP seeks to inform smarter prevention, earlier detection, and better care for people in Alberta and beyond.
How ATP collects and uses its data
ATP gathers rich information through comprehensive surveys that cover mental health, smoking status, cancer screening, body measurements, and family health history. To date, participants have contributed over one billion data points, providing researchers with a detailed map of how lifestyle, environment, and biology influence cancer and chronic disease outcomes.
In addition to survey data, more than 30,000 participants have generously donated thousands of biological samples, including blood and urine. These samples enable measurement of genetics and other health markers, creating a valuable biobank of more than one million samples. By linking ATP data with other health records, researchers can explore complex interactions across generations and better understand disease risk and resilience.
A new home for ATP: collaboration and clinical integration
Last fall, ATP moved to the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Calgary. This relocation places ATP at the heart of a multidisciplinary environment where medical experts, researchers, and clinicians can leverage its data to unlock meaningful insights. The facility fosters real-time collaboration, accelerating the translation of research findings into evidence-based care and prevention strategies.
What studies is ATP supporting now?
ATP supports a range of health studies, reflecting its commitment to broad, impactful research. A recent example is the Lung Cancer Risk Factors Study, conducted in partnership with the University of Calgary’s Evict Radon National Study team, led by Dr. Aaron Goodarzi. This collaboration helps identify factors that increase lung cancer risk among Albertans and informs targeted prevention efforts.
Looking ahead, ATP is launching the Diet and Physical Activity project. In late 2025, ATP will join with six CanPath regional cohorts to conduct the largest and most comprehensive diet and physical activity data collection in Canadian history. The findings will shed light on how the food environment and lifestyle choices influence cancer risk and overall health, with potential for personalized prevention and treatment approaches.
Why ATP matters for health now and in the future
As a long-term, deeply connected research platform, ATP provides an unusually rich resource for researchers around the world. Its combination of extensive survey data, genetic and biomarker information, and linkable health records enables nuanced analysis of how lifestyle, genetics, and environment shape health across generations. The project’s ongoing work has the potential to increase prevention, enable earlier detection, and improve treatment for cancer and chronic diseases.
Looking forward: shaping proactive health care
ATP’s collaborative model demonstrates how long-term, large-scale data collection can drive tangible improvements in public health. By enabling researchers to ask new questions and test innovative hypotheses, ATP helps inform policies, customize prevention strategies, and ultimately improve quality of life for Albertans and readers around the world.
