Journal Article

Airborne metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in relation to mammographic breast density

Weinberg, Clarice R., White, Alexandra J., O’Meara, Ellen S., Sprague, Brian L., Sandler, Dale P.

2019

Overview

Background Breast density is strongly related to breast cancer. Identifying associations between environmental exposures and density may elucidate relationships with breast cancer. Metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may influence breast density via oxidative stress or endocrine disruption. Methods Study participants ( n  = 222,581) underwent a screening mammogram in 2011 at a radiology facility in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. Zip code residential levels of airborne PAHs and metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, and selenium) were assessed using the 2011 EPA National Air Toxics Assessment. Breast density was measured using the Breast Imaging–Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the individual air toxics and dense breasts (BI-RADS 3 or 4). Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to model the association between the air toxic mixture and density. Results Higher residential levels of arsenic, cobalt, lead, manganese, nickel, or PAHs were individually associated with breast density. Comparing the highest to the lowest quartile, higher odds of having dense breasts were observed for cobalt (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.56–1.64) and lead (OR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.52–1.64). Associations were stronger for premenopausal women. The WQS index was associated with density overall (OR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.20–1.24); the most heavily weighted air toxics were lead and cobalt. Conclusions In this first study to evaluate the association between air toxics and breast density, women living in areas with higher concentrations of lead and cobalt were more likely to have dense breasts.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adult / Aged / Air Pollutants - toxicity / Air pollution / Aromatic hydrocarbons / Arsenic / BCSC / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Breast - diagnostic imaging / Breast - drug effects / Breast - pathology / Breast cancer / Breast density / Breast Density - drug effects / Breast Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging / Breast Neoplasms - etiology / Breast Neoplasms - pathology / Breast Neoplasms - prevention & control / Cadmium / Cancer Research / Chemical plants / Chromium / Cobalt / Cross-Sectional Studies / Early Detection of Cancer - methods / Endocrine disruptors / Environmental Exposure - adverse effects / Environmental toxicology / Evaluation / Female / Hazardous substances / Health risk assessment / Heavy metals / Hormone replacement therapy / Humans / Intelligence gathering / Mammography / Mammography - statistics & numerical data / Manganese / Menopause / Mercury / Metals / Metals - toxicity / Middle Aged / Nickel / Nickel (Metal) / Oncology / Oxidative stress / Oxidative Stress - drug effects / Pollution / Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons / Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - toxicity / Radiology / Registries - statistics & numerical data / Research Article / Selenium / Selenium (Chemical element) / Studies / Surgical Oncology / Systematic review / Womens health