ASPO Abstracts
Association of Air Pollution with Breast Cancer Risk in UK Biobank
Category: Early Detection & Risk Prediction
Conference Year: 2023
Abstract Body:
Purpose We investigated the association of several air pollution measures (particulate matter PM10, PM2.5, PM2.5-10, PM2.5 absorbance, nitrogen dioxide [NO2], and nitrogen oxides [NOX]) with postmenopausal breast cancer (BCa) risk. Methods This study included 155,235 postmenopausal women (6,146 with BCa) from UK Biobank, a population-based prospective cohort. Cancer diagnoses were ascertained through the linkage to the UK National Health Service Central Registers. Annual averages for NO2 were available from 2005 and baseline assessment (2006, 2007, and 2010). Annual averages for PM10 were available from 2007 and 2010. For other air pollution measures (PM2.5, NOX, PM2.5-10 and PM2.5 absorbance), annual averages were available from 2010. We examined associations for year-specific and cumulative average exposure measures. Information on BCa risk factors was collected at baseline. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate associations between air pollution (continuous per 5 µg/m3 as well as quartiles) and BCa risk, while adjusting for BCa risk factors. We also examined the associations with 2-year exposure lag. Results BCa risk increased by 9% per 5 µg/m3 increase in 2007 PM10 (Hazard ratio [HR]=1.09, 95% CI 1.04, 1.14), and by 41% per 5 µg/m3 increase in cumulative average PM10 (HR=1.41, 95% CI 1.32, 1.51). Compared to women with annual concentrations of 2007 PM10 in the 1st quartile, women with higher levels had higher BCa risk (HR=1.17, 95% CI 1.09, 1.26 for 2nd quartile, HR=1.14, 95% CI 1.06, 1.23 for 3rd quartile, and HR=1.15, 95% CI 1.07, 1.24 for 4th quartile, p- trend=0.001). We found no association for 2010 PM10, but cumulative average PM10 exposure was positively associated with BCa risk (4th versus 1st quartile HR=1.35, 95% CI 1.25, 1.44, p-trend<0.0001). No significant associations were found with any other air pollutant and BCa risk. Compared to the overall analyses, in the analyses with 2-year exposure lag, we observed stronger associations for PM10 in 2007 (HR per 5 µg/m3=1.11, 95% CI 1.06, 1.16), and a weaker association for PM10 cumulative average (HR per 5 µg/m3=1.36, 95% CI 1.27, 1.47). Conclusions We found a positive significant association of PM10 exposure in 2007 and cumulative average PM10 exposure with postmenopausal BCa risk.
Keywords: breast cancer risk, air pollution