Breast Cancer Awareness | Study links air pollution to higher rates of ... - TribDem.com

Breast Cancer Awareness | Study links air pollution to higher rates of breast cancer | News | tribdem.com

A national study that occurred over two decades found that women living in areas with higher levels of air pollution had higher breast cancer rates.

The study, which included 500,000 people from six states and two major cities, was cited as one of the largest to date that looked into the relationship between outdoor air pollution – in this case, particulate matter – and breast cancer incidence rates.

In doing so, the National Institute of Health tracked those people over two decades, documenting a total of 15,870 breast cancer cases – and an 8% higher rate among women living in areas with elevated levels of particulate matter that was 2.5 microns in width or less (PM2.5).

Particulates of that size are small enough that they can be inhaled deep into the lungs – the body’s natural filter.

That included 2,315 cases in Pennsylvania, the study showed.

While experts noted that the 8% difference might seem modest, “these findings are significant given that air pollution is a ubiquitous exposure that impacts almost everyone,” said North Carolina-based epidemiologist Alexandra White, lead author and head of the Environment and Cancer Epidemiology Group at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

“These findings add to a growing body of literature suggesting that air pollution is related to breast cancer.”

Particulate matter is a type of air pollution released through vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions, such as the burning of gas and coal. Big wildfires, such as the Canadian fires that caused air quality issues throughout the northern United States this summer, also cause particulate matter-heavy air pollution.

Researchers said women from California, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and Louisiana and in two metropolitan areas, Atlanta and Detroit, were included in the study. They were followed for approximately 20 years.

The researchers estimated annual average historical PM2.5 concentrations for each participant’s residence, they wrote.

They placed a focus on air pollution exposures during a period of 10 to 15 years prior to enrollment in the study, given the length of time it takes for some cancers to develop.

Most previous studies assessed breast cancer risk in relation to air pollution around the time of study enrollment – rather than years later – and did not consider past exposure, they wrote.

“The ability to consider historic air pollution levels is an important strength of this research,” said Maryland based epidemiologist and researcher Rena Jones, the senior author and principal investigator of the study for the National Cancer Institute.

“It can take many years for breast cancer to develop and, in the past, air pollution levels tended to be higher, which may make previous exposure levels particularly relevant for cancer development.”

Researchers: Explore regional differences

The team of seven researchers suggested that future studies should explore how the regional differences in air pollution, including the various types of PM2.5 to which women are exposed, could impact a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.

The study was funded by the NIEHS and the National Cancer Institute, the report shows.

Air quality levels across the U.S. change constantly depending on a variety of factors. They can be monitored on sites such as AirNow.gov that provide “real-time” data and compare them to the EPA’s air quality index.