Exposure to environmental chemicals, especially early in life, is an important contributing factor in the development of breast cancer, according to the most comprehensive review of human studies to date. The findings could help inform prevention strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of the disease, as rates continue to increase worldwide. In 2007, researchers from Silent Spring Institute published in the
Helping communities reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals.
Windows of Susceptibility
The goal of the ELLA study is to learn more about how exposure to environmental chemicals during adolescence, a period of rapid growth and change, affects the developing body and how these changes might increase breast cancer risk later in life. Studies suggest that the origins of breast cancer can occur early, for instance in the womb and during puberty.
Chemicals & Breast Cancer
Despite advances in medical research, the incidence of breast cancer among women has not decreased in recent years. In fact, over the past 30 years, global incidence and mortality have increased at annual rates of 3.1 and 1.8 percent, respectively. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women worldwide. In the United States, about 1 in 8 women will
Resources
Every day we come into contact with hundreds of chemicals, only a fraction of which have been thoroughly tested for safety. These chemicals enter our homes on the soles of our shoes, in the personal care and household products we use, and in the furnishings we buy. Some of these chemicals have been associated with cancer and other health effects.
ELLA Community Blog
La exposición a productos químicos ambientales es un factor de riesgo importante para el cáncer de mama

La exposición a sustancias químicas ambientales, especialmente al inicio de la vida, es un factor importante que contribuye al desarrollo del cáncer de mama, de acuerdo con la revisión más exhaustiva de estudios humanos hasta la fecha. Los hallazgos podrían ayudar a informar las estrategias de prevención dirigidas a reducir la incidencia de la enfermedad, ya que las tasas continúan
Lessons from Abroad: Highlights of Our Visit to Santiago, Chile

As evidence suggests the seeds of breast cancer may be sown early in life, the Early Life exposures in Latina Adolescents (ELLA) study hopes to find out whether exposure to common environmental chemicals during puberty increases breast cancer risk later in life. To do this, the ELLA study builds on an existing study involving 500 girls in Santiago, creating new
Enseñanzas en el extranjero: momentos destacados de nuestro viaje a Chile

La literatura sugiere que el cáncer de mama puede verse influenciado por la exposición ambiental, especialmente en las primeras etapas de la vida. El estudio “Exposición temprana en adolescentes latinas” (Early Life exposures in Latina Adolescents; ELLA por sus siglas en inglés) busca indagar en la relación entre la exposición a productos químicos ambientales comunes durante la pubertad y el
Assessing the links between air pollution and breast cancer risk

Scientists at Columbia University are working with community groups in Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx to investigate how exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—a component of combustion-related air pollution—affects breast cancer risk. The Columbia study is one of six projects, including the ELLA study, funded through the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Program (BCERP)—a joint effort co-funded by the
Evaluando los vínculos entre la contaminación del aire y el riesgo de cáncer de mama

Un grupo de científicos de la Universidad de Columbia está colaborando con grupos comunitarios en el Alto Manhattan y el sur del Bronx para investigar cómo la exposición a los hidrocarburos aromáticos policíclicos (HAP), componentes de la contaminación atmosférica relacionada con la combustión, afecta el riesgo de cáncer de mama. El estudio de Columbia es uno de seis proyectos, incluyendo
Hormone disrupting chemicals common in fast food packaging

Fast food has been heavily criticized from a nutritional standpoint because it tends to be high in saturated fats, salt, and calories. Now scientists have identified another way that fast food consumption might affect your health: through potentially harmful chemicals in the packaging. In a recent study, scientists from nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies, conducted the first comprehensive
Productos químicos que alteran las hormonas son comunes en los envases de comida rápida

La comida rápida ha sido fuertemente criticada desde un punto de vista nutricional porque suele ser alta en grasas saturadas, sal y calorías. Ahora se ha identificado otra manera en que el consumo de comida rápida podría afectar la salud: la presencia de sustancias químicas potencialmente peligrosas en los envases. En un estudio reciente, un equipo de científicos de distintas