Spatial Patterns of Breast Cancer Risk Associated with Industrial and Environmental Pollutants: A Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Breast cancer is a significant global health concern.
• Environmental and industrial exposures are suspected contributors to breast cancer etiology.
• Synthesizing current evidence is crucial for understanding these links.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of published evidence linking environmental and industrial exposures to breast cancer.
• To synthesize findings from studies published between 2015 and 2025.
• To identify research gaps and inform future public health strategies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Arksey and O'Malley framework for the scoping review.
• Analyzed 51 peer-reviewed studies focusing on study design, evidence quality, pollutant associations, geographic focus, and research gaps.
• Included retrospective designs such as case-control, ecological, cross-sectional, and cohort studies.

Main Results:

• Pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) showed consistent associations with breast cancer.
• Nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) also demonstrated frequent significant associations.
• Evidence quality varied due to methodological limitations, despite large sample sizes in most studies.

Conclusions:

• Accumulating evidence links pollution to increased breast cancer risk, yet the precautionary principle is underutilized.
• Geographic research concentration in North America and Europe limits understanding of global disparities.
• Stronger epidemiological designs, multipollutant models, and policy integration are needed for effective cancer prevention.