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Vol. 08 Issue 1, Early Spring 2003

Geographic Information Systems and Breast Cancer in Western New York
The Ribbon 

Matthew R. Bonner, MPH
Environmental factors may play an important role in the etiology of breast cancer.

Here at University at Buffalo's Center for Preventive Medicine under the direction of Dr. Jo L. Freudenheim, we are looking at several environmental pollutants which may play a role in the development of breast cancer. These pollutants include benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are formed from the combustion of organic material. The compounds are commonly released from tobacco smoke, automobile exhaust, and from the combustion of organic material. To facilitate these investigations, we are relying heavily on Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to reconstruct historical exposure to these environmental pollutants and to examine spatial and temporal clustering of breast cancer cases in western New York.

Our goal is to examine participants' lifetime exposure to these compounds and the subsequent risk of developing breast cancer focusing primarily on early life exposures. Early life exposures may be more important than recent exposure because breast epithelium may be more susceptible to carcinogenic insults during development. Evidence from atomic bomb survivors indicates that females who were less than 20 years old when they were exposed to ionizing radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have a greater increase in risk of breast cancer than women exposed at older ages. Consequently, we are reconstructing historical exposures to these compounds in several ways and at several time periods when breast tissue may be most susceptible to environmental carcinogens.

First, we are using a recently completed case-control study where participants were asked to complete a residential history. These histories are being used to establish each participant's address at several time periods: 1) birth, 2) menarche, 3) time of their first pregnancy, 4) 20 years before interview, and 5) 10 years before interview. This has allowed us to geographically locate each subject's historical address in a GIS for each time period.

Second, we are using the GIS to estimate the proximity of each subject to known sources of benzene and PAHs. A database is being created containing addresses and other information on industries in Erie and Niagara counties including steel mills, chemical factories, foundries, and petroleum refineries dating back to the 1920s. These industries will be geographically located in a GIS with study participants' addresses to estimate proximity to these sites as a surrogate for exposure to benzene and PAHs generated by these facilities.

Third, we are examining exposure to total suspended particulates, a surrogate measure of ambient air pollution. Total suspended particulates has been measured since the late 1950s in Erie County and we are using these measured concentrations at various locations throughout Erie and Niagara counties to estimate each participant's residential exposure to total suspended particulates. Again, GIS techniques have an integral role in the exposure assessment. Specifically, we are using GIS to interpolate the concentrations of total suspended particulates at each participant's residence for all five time periods based on the monitoring locations total suspended particulates levels.

Finally, we are examining exposure to PAHs from automobile exhaust. In this phase of the study, historical records of traffic counts will be used to model exposure to automobile exhaust at each participant's residence. These investigations will help us determine: 1) if these compounds are associated with breast cancer and 2) in what time period are these exposures most relevant. The analyses of these data are ongoing and we should have reportable results within the next year.

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Last Update 12.25.04