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Chemicals in the Workplace
and the Risk of Breast Cancer

by Suzanne M. Snedeker, Ph.D.

What we know about the breast cancer risk of chemicals encountered in the work place comes from scientific human studies on women (called epidemiological studies) that have looked at the rate of breast cancer in a particular profession (incidence) or the rate of dying of breast cancer (mortality), as well as modeling studies conducted on laboratory animals.

Many human studies of breast cancer risk of women in the workplace have had limitations because they weren’t conducted for a long enough time (breast cancer takes decades to develop), other factors that affect breast cancer risk were not controlled for (called confounding factors), studies were small in size, and there often was little accurate information on the extent and duration of exposure to the chemicals when performing specific work tasks.

Therefore, much of what we know about chemical hazards in the workplace comes laboratory animal studies conducted by the National Toxicology Program. These rodent cancer bioassays have identified a variety of chemicals than can cause mammary tumors in laboratory animals. These potential breast carcinogens often are encountered in the workplace. Many of these exposures can be avoided with different work practices and the use of personal protective equipment.

These pages provide critical analysis of the literature on what we know and don’t know about breast cancer risk in the workplace, and also provide examples of exposures to potential breast carcinogens that have been identified in certain occupations, and steps that can be taken to reduce exposure.

Overview Article

BCERF Alerts on chemical exposures in specific occupations

ECCD Database