O "Pink October” this year has brought to light a growing concern among scientists: air pollution may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
More specifically, it is fine particles of solid or liquid material suspended in the air that are under suspicion, as revealed by a French study.
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These tiny particles, with a diameter of at most 2.5 millionths of a meter, not only make the sky cloudy, but once inhaled, they can penetrate deep into the lungs and possibly enter the blood.
During the ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) congress in Madrid, Spain, professor Béatrice Fervers, head of the Department of Environment and Cancer Prevention at the Center Léon Bérard, presented a study on the theme.
The results indicate that women living in areas with more than 10 micrograms of these fine particles per cubic meter of air have a 28% higher risk of developing breast cancer, compared to those who live in places with half this concentration or any less.
The research was not limited to analyzing air quality at a given time, as is common in previous studies. This decision was due to the fact that the team sought to obtain more comprehensive results.
Instead, French scientists investigated women's exposure to these particles over a considerable period, taking into account not only air quality where they worked, but also at their home addresses.
The study covered almost 100,000 women aged between 40 and 65, followed for more than two decades. During this period, 2,419 of them were diagnosed with breast cancer.
(Image: disclosure)
Comparison between women who developed the disease and those who did not breast cancer showed a correlation between exposure to air pollution and cancer risk.
Fine particles, known as PM 2.5, are under scrutiny, while other larger particles and oxide Nitrogen did not demonstrate a significant association with breast cancer, according to researcher Solange Moraes Sanchez.
Recent studies are strengthening the hypothesis that air pollution, particularly fine particles, is an aggravating factor in the increased risk of breast cancer.
