Grant: Project Grant - PA - Breast Cancer Prevention & Early Detection

Despite being the most diagnosed female and male cancers in Canada and most of the developed world, little is known regarding modifiable risk factors for breast and prostate cancer. Thus, the identification of modifiable risk factors remains crucial for primary prevention. Air pollution refers to the contamination of the environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Past evidence has suggested that exposure to various components and sources of air pollution from occupational and residential settings may increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer. However, the specific components of air pollution are rarely investigated, and few studies have been able to consider both occupational and residential sources of exposure to air pollutants, and breast and prostate cancer risk. This research proposes to determine whether lifetime exposure to air pollution in the workplace and at home, independently and conjointly, contribute to the risk of developing breast and prostate cancer. Our research will be based on lifetime job and residential information provided by 10,666 women and men in an ongoing Quebec study. We will estimate participants' exposure to various air pollutants at work and at home, and compare the number of breast and prostate cancer cases across women and men with different exposure profiles. This study offers a valuable opportunity to examine, in a short time frame and at low cost, whether air pollution play an important role in breast and prostate cancer risk.