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Breast Cancer linked to Cleaning Products and Air Fresheners, but not Pesticides says Study

By Paul Napoli

July 20, 2010

Researchers of a new study found a correlation between women with breast cancer and their use of household cleaning products and air fresheners, but found no link to pesticide exposure.

Researchers from the Silent Spring Institute, of Newton, MA, and the Boston University School of Public Health's Department of Epidemiology in Boston, MA performed the study. It appears in this month's journal of Environmental Health.

Study researchers conducted telephone interviews with 787 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 721 women in a control group without the disease in Cape Cod, MA. Interviewers asked the participants a series of questions regarding their past use of household cleaners, including mold and mildew products and air fresheners, and their usage or exposure to a variety of pesticides. They also asked participants how much they thought factors of heredity, diet, chemical and pollutants in the air or water, or a woman's reproductive or breastfeeding history contributed to breast cancer development.

Study results found that women who reported the highest combined cleaning product use had a doubled risk of breast cancer compared to those with the lowest reported use. Use of air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control were associated with increased risk.

'Pesticides, household cleaners and air fresheners are of interest in breast cancer research because many contain ingredients that are mammary gland carcinogens in animals or endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), including compounds that affect growth of estrogen-sensitive human breast cancer cells or affect mammary gland development,' study authors said. 'To our knowledge, this is the first epidemiological study to suggest an association between cleaning product use, in particular air fresheners and products for mold and mildew control, and elevated breast cancer risk.'

Critics claim the study is biased and study authors themselves recognized the potential for bias in their results. The study relied on the women's self-reporting of products used and exposures over their lifetimes.

'Simply put, this research is rife with innuendo and speculation about the safety of cleaning products and their ingredients,' said Richard Sedlak, Senior Vice President of Technical and International Affairs of The American Cleaning Institute (ACI). 'This is all based on the most cursory look at the scientific literature and the recollection of breast cancer survivors as to the products they used 15 to 20 years ago.'

'When women are diagnosed with breast cancer, they often think about what happened in the past that might have contributed to the disease,' Julia Brody, Executive Director of Silent Spring Institute, said of the potential bias. 'As a result, it may be that women with breast cancer more accurately recall their past product use or even over-estimate it. Or, it could also be that experience with breast cancer influences beliefs about its causes.'

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Napoli

Full post as published by New York City Personal Injury Lawyer on July 20, 2010 (boomark / email).