Abstract
BackgroundEvidence from basic research links exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with a higher risk for breast cancer. However, there is less evidence from observational epidemiological research and the results are equivocal. Therefore, we examined the association between occupational exposure to substances where exposure to EDCs is likely and the risk of breast cancer.MethodsA prospective study consisting of a population-based cohort of 33,458 Singaporean Chinese women aged 45–74 years enrolled in the Singapore Chinese Health Study (SCHS) from 1993 to 98 and followed through 2014. Subjects’ self-reported occupational exposure and duration to industries, job titles, and substance types were garnered at baseline, and cases of incident breast cancer (N = 988) were determined by linkage with the Singapore Cancer Registry. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for exposure to substances, job titles, and industries.ResultsThere was no association between cumulative exposure to substances via occupation where EDC exposure is likely and risk of breast cancer. These results were consistent for hypothesized high (HR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.66–1.35), medium (HR 1.03 95% CI: 0.77–1.38) and low (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.48–1.13) combined substance exposure groups when compared with those who were not exposed via occupation. Similar null associations were observed when examining job titles and industry categories.ConclusionsThere was no association between EDC related occupational exposures and breast cancer risk in working women of the Singaporean Chinese Health Study. Future studies that employ rigorous methods with regard to exposure assessment of EDCs are needed.
Highlights
Evidence from basic research links exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with a higher risk for breast cancer
Descriptive participant characteristics at baseline for the different exposure categories are presented in Table 1 and Additional file 1: Tables S2 and S3, across exposure indices
We observed no association between the occupational industry, job title, or substance index and risk for breast cancer
Summary
Evidence from basic research links exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with a higher risk for breast cancer. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) refer to exogenous substances that can interact with an organism’s endocrine system or general hormonal action [1,2,3]. Previous epidemiological studies examining the association between exposure to substances that may have hormonal activity and risk for breast cancer have been inconsistent [18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25]. Other large US and European studies have found no associations [18, 21, 22, 24, 25] This highlights the scientific utility of examining populations with varying underlying breast cancer risk and reproductive patterns than those of western and European countries. Research utilizing an Eastern population of Chinese women in Singapore, a country historically known for its industrial history [26], is distinct and could make a novel contribution to the topic
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