Breast Cancer-Related Chemical Exposures in Firefighters.

To fill a research gap on firefighter exposures and breast cancer risk, and guide exposure reduction, we aimed to identify firefighter occupational exposures linked to breast cancer. We conducted a systematic search and review to identify firefighter chemical exposures and then identified the subset that was associated with breast cancer. To do this, we compared the firefighter exposures with chemicals that have been shown to increase breast cancer risk in epidemiological studies or increase mammary gland tumors in experimental toxicology studies.

Chemical Effects on Breast Development, Function, and Cancer Risk: Existing Knowledge and New Opportunities.

Population studies show worrisome trends towards earlier breast development, difficulty in breastfeeding, and increasing rates of breast cancer in young women. Multiple epidemiological studies have linked these outcomes with chemical exposures, and experimental studies have shown that many of these chemicals generate similar effects in rodents, often by disrupting hormonal regulation. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can alter the progression of mammary gland (MG) development, impair the ability to nourish offspring via lactation, increase mammary tissue density, and increase the propensity to develop cancer.

Best practices to quantify the impact of reproductive toxicants on development, function, and diseases of the rodent mammary gland.

Work from numerous fields of study suggests that exposures to hormonally active chemicals during sensitive windows of development can alter mammary gland development, function, and disease risk. Stronger links between many environmental pollutants and disruptions to breast health continue to be documented in human populations, and there remain concerns that the methods utilized to identify, characterize, and prioritize these chemicals for risk assessment and risk management purposes are insufficient. There are also concerns that effects on the mammary gland have been largely ignored by regulatory agencies.

Application of an Assay to Identify Chemicals That Increase Estradiol and Progesterone Synthesis and Are Potential Breast Cancer Risk Factors.

Background: Established breast cancer risk factors, such as hormone replacement therapy and reproductive history, are thought to act by increasing estrogen and progesterone (P4) activity.

Objective: We aimed to use screening data to identify chemicals that increase the synthesis of estradiol (E2) or P4 and evaluate potential risks.

Method: Using data from a high-throughput (HT) steroidogenesis assay developed for the U.

Personal care product use among diverse women in California: Taking Stock Study.

Background: Personal care product use may contribute to elevated body burdens of consumer product chemicals among women of color; however, racial/ethnic differences in product use has been understudied. Community-engaged research can support the recruitment of diverse participants.

Objective: To document personal care product use among a diverse group of women (aged 18-34 years) living in California.

US EPA's regulatory pesticide evaluations need clearer guidelines for considering mammary gland tumors and other mammary gland effects.

Breast cancer risk from pesticides may be missed if effects on mammary gland are not assessed in toxicology studies required for registration. Using US EPA's registration documents, we identified pesticides that cause mammary tumors or alter development, and evaluated how those findings were considered in risk assessment. Of 28 pesticides that produced mammary tumors, EPA's risk assessment acknowledges those tumors for nine and dismisses the remaining cases.