Environmental Exposures at Birth and at Menarche and Risk of Breast Cancer

Abstract

This population-based study examines early life exposure to environmental pollutants from industrial sites, toxic waste sites and heavily trafficked roadways as risk factors for breast cancer; with a focus on exposure to benzene and PAHs. We have geocoded 15,340 individual addresses for 3,286 participants in Erie and Niagara counties in the study. A validation study assessed the positional accuracy of addresses geocoded on the Dynamap2000 using a global positioning system receiver. Overall, geocoding was accurate. Analyses have been completed examining residential proximity to industrial sites contracting with the US Atomic Energy Commission (USAEC), for exposure to total suspended particulates (TSP), and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and breast cancer risk. Proximity to sites contracted by USAEC was not associated with risk. Exposure to TSP in early life was associated with a 2.75-fold increase in risk for postmenopausal women only. There was little evidence of an association between early life exposure to ETS and breast cancer. Clustering analyses identified geographic patterns of residence for breast cancer cases and controls at critical time periods in early life. These results provide evidence that environmental exposures in early life may be important for breast cancer risk.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA418073

Entities

People

  • Jo L Freudenheim

Organizations

  • University at Buffalo

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Bone Diseases
  • Breast Cancer
  • Cancer
  • Environment
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Epidemiology
  • Fissile Materials
  • Fissionable Materials
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Geography
  • Health Services
  • Neoplasms
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Risk Factors
  • Surveys

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Environmental Remediation and Restoration.
  • Women's Health and Cancer Risk Research: African American Women and Pregnancy Outcomes.

Technology Areas

  • Space