Indoor air pollution exposure from use of indoor stoves and fireplaces in association with breast cancer: a case-control study. Environmental Health, Dec 2014, 13:108 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-13-108.
Authors: Alexandra J White (whitea@unc.edu), Susan L Teitelbaum (susan.teitelbaum@mssm.edu), et al.
Background – Previous studies suggest that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may adversely affect breast cancer risk. Indoor air pollution from use of indoor stoves and/or fireplaces is animportant source of ambient PAH exposure. However, the association between indoor stove/fireplace use and breast cancer risk is unknown. We hypothesized that indoor stove/fireplace use in a Long Island, New York study population would be positively associated with breast cancer and differ by material burned, and the duration and timing of exposure. We also hypothesized that the association would vary by breast cancer subtype defined by p53 mutation status, and interact with glutathione S-transferases GSTM1, T1, A1and P1 polymorphisms.
Methods – Population-based, case-control resources (1,508 cases/1,556 controls) were used to conduct unconditional logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).ResultsBreast cancer risk was increased among women reporting ever burning synthetic logs (whichmay also contain wood) in their homes (OR = 1.42, 95%CI 1.11, 1.84), but not for everburning wood alone (OR = 0.93, 95%CI 0.77, 1.12). For synthetic log use, longer duration >7years, older age at exposure (>20 years; OR = 1.65, 95%CI 1.02, 2.67) and 2 or more variantsin GSTM1, T1, A1 or P1 (OR = 1.71, 95%CI 1.09, 2.69) were associated with increased risk.
Conclusions – Burning wood or synthetic logs are both indoor PAH exposure sources; however, positive associations were only observed for burning synthetic logs, which was stronger for longer exposures, adult exposures, and those with multiple GST variant genotypes. Therefore, our results should be interpreted with care and require replication.
