City life raises a woman's risk of breast cancer

Nov 27 2007

According to a new study city living increases a woman's risk for breast cancer.

The British researchers say that women who work and live in the city are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer than those who work and live in the country.

The research was prompted by anecdotal reports from breast-screening centres that unusually high numbers of women from city areas had dense breasts.

The researchers from the London Breast Institute say this is due to the fact that women who live in urban areas tend to have breasts which are more dense than those who live in rural areas.

The team found that among a group of women attending a private London hospital, the correlation was highest for individuals living and working in the City of London.

The risk was reduced with more distance from the city and was accordingly less pronounced in suburban and rural areas.

Previous research has shown that women with 25 per cent or more of their breasts made up of dense tissue have four times more the risk of breast cancer than those with fatty breasts.

Study leader Dr. Nicholas M. Perry says women who live in urban areas are known to have lower attendance for breast screening programs than women in outlying areas and he suggests they need to be more vigilant when it comes to breast cancer screening.

The researchers believe it is the pollution in cities which is the main cause for the increased breast cancer risk in city women and suggest there needs to be a focus on better traffic management and ways to reduce traffic emissions.

The findings are supported by data from breast-screening centres in other parts of England and from rural Greece and the scientists say there is a direct link between traffic pollution, breast density and breast-cancer risk.

Each year, nearly 180,000 American women, 44,000 British women and around 14,000 Australian women are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer; many will die from the disease.