In our technological and highly industrialized society, we are exposed to hundreds of synthetic chemicals every day. Some of these chemicals are critical to so much of what we value in making our lives easier, more comfortable and more productive. Unfortunately, the manufacturing, use and disposal of many of these products lead o contamination of our environment with mixtures of chemicals we breathe in, eat and drink, and absorb through our skin.
Increasing scientific evidence suggests that many synthetic chemicals may interfere with cellular pathways that may be involved in the development of cancer, including breast cancer. Understanding how these substances might interact to alter breast cancer risk is an important goal of scientific research in the field. Understanding who might be most susceptible to the carcinogenic effects of these chemicals is also important. It is clear that low levels of many environmental chemicals can interact to have larger than expected (based on individual contributions) effects on human health, including breast cancer risk. It is also increasingly clear that there are times in life, from prenatal periods through late adolescence, when a girl's breast tissue may be more vulnerable to the cancer causing effects to exposures to environmental influences.
Janet Gray, MS, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Director of the multidisciplinary program in Science, Technology and Society at Vassar College. She coordinated the research, production and release of a website and CD-ROM called Environmental Risks and Breast Cancer; the Breast Cancer Fund was among the project's supporters. Dr. Gray is the editor of the most recent addition of the Breast Cancer Fund's State of Evidence: The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment.
