Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter interacting with individual conditions increase breast cancer incidence: a large-scale Chinese cohort

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among women worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the impact of long-term fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on breast cancer incidence in a cohort of 281,152 women from the China Kadoorie Biobank who were initially free of breast cancer. PM2.5 concentrations were estimated using a high-resolution satellite-based model, and breast cancer cases were ascertained through national databases. Over a median follow-up of 11.12 years, 2393 new breast cancer cases were reported. Analyses using Cox proportional hazard and restricted cubic spline models demonstrated a non-linear association between PM2.5 exposure and breast cancer incidence, with a marked increase in risk observed once PM2.5surpassed 53.6 μg/m3. For every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, the hazard ratio for breast cancer incidence was 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 1.03–1.12). Furthermore, interactions were noted between PM2.5, physical activity, and life satisfaction, indicating that high pollution levels may diminish the protective benefits of exercise and positive psychological well-being. These findings highlight the need for stringent air pollution control measures and underscore the importance of integrated strategies that consider environmental, lifestyle, and psychological factors to reduce the burden of breast cancer.

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Publication Details

Journal
Environmental Sciences Europe
Published
2025-04-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-025-01105-w
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Air Quality and Health Impacts
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.20

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Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter interacting with individual conditions increase breast cancer incidence: a large-scale Chinese cohort

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Environmental Sciences Europe
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Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter interacting with individual conditions increase breast cancer incidence: a large-scale Chinese cohort

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article en
1 citations

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among women worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the impact of long-term fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on breast cancer incidence in a cohort of 281,152 women from the China Kadoorie Biobank who were initially free of breast cancer. PM2.5 concentrations were estimated using a high-resolution satellite-based model, and breast cancer cases were ascertained through national databases. Over a median follow-up of 11.12 years, 2393 new breast cancer cases were reported. Analyses using Cox proportional hazard and restricted cubic spline models demonstrated a non-linear association between PM2.5 exposure and breast cancer incidence, with a marked increase in risk observed once PM2.5surpassed 53.6 μg/m3. For every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, the hazard ratio for breast cancer incidence was 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 1.03–1.12). Furthermore, interactions were noted between PM2.5, physical activity, and life satisfaction, indicating that high pollution levels may diminish the protective benefits of exercise and positive psychological well-being. These findings highlight the need for stringent air pollution control measures and underscore the importance of integrated strategies that consider environmental, lifestyle, and psychological factors to reduce the burden of breast cancer.

Environmental Sciences EuropeVol. 37(1)
Peking University (CN), University of Oxford (GB), Ministry of Education (KR), Nanjing Medical University (CN), Medical Research Council (GB)
Wellcome Trust, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 24%
Air Quality and Health Impacts
1.20
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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