Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and postmenopausal breast cancer: An evaluation of effect measure modification by body mass index and weight change

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Nicole Niehoff, University of North Carolina; Alexandra J. White, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Lauren McCullough, Emory University; Susan E. Steck, University of South Carolina; Jan Beyea, Department of Consulting in the Public Interest (CIPI); Irina Mordukhovich, Harvard School of Public Health; Jing Shen, Columbia University; Alfred I. Neugut, Columbia University; Kathleen Conway, University of North Carolina; Regina M. Santella, Columbia University; Marilie D. Gammon, University of North Carolina
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-01-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2016 Elsevier Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2016.09.022
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Environmental Research
• ISSN: 0013-9351
• Volume: 152
• Start Page: 17
• End Page: 25
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Environmental Health and Sciences Grant nos. CA/ES66572, ES007018, ES009089 and ES10126; and in part by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (AJW).
• Keywords: Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Obesity; CIGARETTE-SMOKING; Weight gain; Adducts; DNA-ADDUCTS; Environmental Sciences; ACTIVE SMOKING; OXIDATIVE STRESS; ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO-SMOKE; AIR-POLLUTION; Science & Technology; PASSIVE SMOKING; NEW-YORK EXPOSURES; LONG-ISLAND; CALIFORNIA TEACHERS; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Breast cancer
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Background Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been linked to breast cancer in many, but not all, previous studies. PAHs are lipophilic and stored in fat tissue, which we hypothesized may result in constant low-dose exposure to these carcinogens. No previous studies have evaluated whether obesity modifies associations between multiple measures of PAHs and breast cancer incidence. Methods This population-based study included 1,006 postmenopausal women with first primary in situ or invasive breast cancer and 990 age-frequency matched controls. To evaluate effect modification by obesity (adult body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 ) and weight change) on multiple PAH measures (the biomarker PAH-DNA adducts, and long-term sources active cigarette smoking, living with a smoking spouse, grilled/smoked meat intake, residential synthetic log burning, and vehicular traffic), interaction contrast ratios (ICRs) for the additive scale, and ratio of odds ratios (RORs) with log-likelihood ratio tests (LRT) for the multiplicative scale, were determined using unconditional logistic regression. Results BMI modified the PAH-DNA adduct and postmenopausal breast cancer association on the additive (ICR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.96) and multiplicative (ROR: 1.56; 95% CI: 0.91, 2.68) scales. The odds ratio for detectable vs. non-detectable adducts was increased among women with BMI ≥25 (OR=1.34; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.92), but not in those with BMI < 25 (OR=0.86; 95% CI: 0.57, 1.28) (LRT p=0.1). For most other PAH measures, the pattern of modification by BMI/weight gain was similar, but estimates were imprecise. Conclusions The association between PAH-DNA adducts and breast cancer incidence may be elevated among overweight/obese women.