Silent Spring Institute Releases Science Reviews of Environmental Factors of Breast Cancer

We all carry a body burden from the chemical swirl of our environment. But when does that burden grow too heavy? Which chemicals can be tolerated, and which trigger the development of cancerous cells?

To help clarify the chemical risks for breast cancer, Silent Spring Institute has compiled the most comprehensive review to date of scientific research on environmental factors that may increase risk of the disease. The study findings—entitled “Environmental Factors in Breast Cancer”—appear in the June 15, 2007 issue of the American Cancer Society’s journal Cancer.

The state-of-the-science review—commissioned by Susan G. Komen for the Cure and conducted by Silent Spring Institute in collaboration with researchers from Harvard University, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and the University of Southern California—involved the collection and assessment of scientific studies on potential links between specific environmental factors and breast cancer.

The database reveals that among those 216 compounds identified as causing breast tumors in animals, 73 have been present in consumer products or as contaminants in food, 35 are air pollutants, and 25 have been associated with occupational exposures affecting more than 5,000 women a year. Twenty-nine of the compounds are produced in the United States in large quantities, often exceeding one million pounds a year. The database includes references to 900 studies. Read more…