ArticleBreast cancer research : BCR2019
Airborne metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in relation to mammographic breast density.
Article in Breast cancer research : BCR, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
36 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 53 citations in OpenAlex.
- Heavy metals in biological samples of cancer patients: a systematic literature review.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Breast Cancer Risk in Association with Atmospheric Pollution Exposure: A Meta-Analysis of Effect Estimates Followed by a Health Impact Assessment.Environmental health perspectives · 2021Pooled it
- The relationship between exposure to particulate matter and breast cancer incidence and mortality: A meta-analysis.Medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Spatial Patterns of Breast Cancer Risk Associated with Industrial and Environmental Pollutants: A Scoping Review.Toxics · 2026Review
- Long-term exposure to PMAir quality, atmosphere, & health · 2026Article
- Air pollution and breast cancer incidence in a United States-wide prospective cohort study: Examining sensitive periods of exposure.Environment international · 2025Article
- Causal relationship between blood metal levels and breast cancer risk: a Mendelian randomization study in East Asian populations.Discover oncology · 2025Article
- Ambient air pollution and mortality in older patients with breast cancer.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2025Article
- Air Pollution and Breast Cancer Incidence in the Multiethnic Cohort Study.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2025Article
- Associations of serum lead with colorectal cancer: data from NHANES 1999-2020.Journal of Cancer · 2025Article
- Time-specific impact of trace metals on breast density of adolescent girls in Santiago, Chile.International journal of cancer · 2024Article
- Mammographic density and exposure to air pollutants in premenopausal women: a cross-sectional study.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2024Article
- Assessment of salivary cadmium levels and breast density in the Marin Women's Study.Cancer medicine · 2024Article
- Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Breast Cancer: 21st Century Advances, Gaps to Address through Interdisciplinary Science.Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine · 2023Review
- Urinary Concentrations of Endocrine-Disrupting Metals and Prevalent Breast Cancer in US Women.Biological trace element research · 2023Article
- Outdoor air pollution and histologic composition of normal breast tissue.Environment international · 2023Article
- The phylogeny and metabolic potentials of anFrontiers in microbiology · 2023Article
- Chemical Effects on Breast Development, Function, and Cancer Risk: Existing Knowledge and New Opportunities.Current environmental health reports · 2022Review
- Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during pregnancy and breast tissue composition in adolescent daughters and their mothers: a prospective cohort study.Breast cancer research : BCR · 2022Article
- Ambient air emissions of endocrine-disrupting metals and the incidence of hormone receptor- and HER2-dependent female breast cancer in USA.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBreast 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.
methodsStudy 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.
resultsHigher 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.
conclusionsIn 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.
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