Women who live in heavily polluted cities are at even greater risk of developing breast cancer than previously thought, a study has found.
Previous research has found that people in urban areas have an eight percent higher risk of developing the disease than women in rural areas – presumably because of dirty air entering the bloodstream.
However, these figures may have understated the problem, according to French data which claims that the real increase in an average European city could actually be 28 percent.
British experts say urgent research is now needed to find out which pollutant particles cause cancer and what can be done to limit exposure to these particles.
“There is great concern that small air pollutants and even microplastic particles of similar sizes are released into the environment, although we do not yet understand their potential to promote cancer,” says Prof. Charles Swanton, deputy clinical director of the Franciscus Crick Institute. in London.
Women living in heavily polluted cities are at even greater risk of developing breast cancer than previously thought, study finds
Around 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year
“There is an urgent need for laboratory studies to investigate the effects of these small air pollutant particles.”
Around 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year. The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age – around eight in ten cases occur in women over 50. Some have a higher risk of developing breast cancer if a family member also has breast cancer, and research shows that obesity and drinking of alcohol can increase the chances. , at.
In September, the US National Institutes of Health released a study showing that living in polluted areas led to a small increase in the risk of disease. Data from 500,000 people over a period of twenty years was used.
But last week at the European Society of Medical Oncology conference, French researchers from Lyon argued that this study – and others like it – did not take into account pollution where women work.
Their study examined the health records of nearly 6,000 women between 1990 and 2011. The researchers then compared the number of breast cancer diagnoses with the level of pollution in the areas where these women lived and worked.
“Our data showed a significant link between long-term exposure to particulate air pollution – at home and at work – and the risk of breast cancer,” said Prof. Beatrice Fervers, cancer prevention expert at the Leon Berard Comprehensive Cancer Center, said. “This is in contrast to previous research that only examined particulate matter exposure where women lived and found little or no effect on breast cancer risk.”
Experts believe air pollution particles increase the risk of cancer by entering the lungs and then the bloodstream.
“From there they are absorbed into the breasts,” explains prof. Swanton.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
