Ambient Air Pollution Exposure and Breast Cancer Risk Worldwide: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies
Jeeraporn Tippila1,2, Naw Lah Say Wah1, Kurnia Ardiansyah Akbar1,3
1College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Summary
Exposure to outdoor air pollution, including specific pollutants like benzo[a]pyrene, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter, is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in women.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
- Oncology
Background:
- Breast cancer is a leading cause of mortality among women globally.
- Environmental factors, including air pollutants with carcinogenic and estrogenic properties, are implicated in breast cancer development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize epidemiological evidence on the association between outdoor air pollution and breast cancer risk.
- To identify specific air pollutants linked to increased breast cancer incidence.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of cohort and nested case-control studies published between 2013 and 2022.
- Inclusion of studies from Scopus and PubMed databases, focusing on outdoor air pollution exposure.
- Analysis of eight distinct outdoor pollutants and their association with breast cancer risk.
Main Results:
- Seven out of eight analyzed outdoor pollutants showed a significant association with breast cancer risk.
- Strong evidence links benzo[a]pyrene to increased breast cancer risk.
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were significantly associated with elevated breast cancer risk.
Conclusions:
- Exposure to outdoor air pollutants is linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate causal relationships and the underlying epigenetic mechanisms.
- Methodological limitations include potential publication bias and a focus on developed countries, impacting generalizability.
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