Breast Cancer

Biography

Biography: Philippa D. Darbre

Abstract

This lecture will discuss the potential for combinations of low doses of environmental chemicals to act over the long term tornenable the hallmarks of cancer to develop in breast cells. It is not necessary for each chemical to impact on every hallmarkrnbut if a mixture of environmental chemicals can act together to impact on all the hallmarks, and to do so at concentrationsrnmeasurable in human breast tissues, then there is the potential for breast cancer development. Such chemicals may actrntogether through similar mechanisms or through complementary mechanisms. In view of the established role of oestrogenrnas a risk factor for breast cancer, there is a potential for environmental compounds which possess oestrogenic activity andrnwhich are measurable in the human breast to contribute to the development of multiple hallmarks of breast cancer. However,rnenvironmental compounds with genotoxic activity may contribute to genomic instability. Human exposure may be throughrnoccupational activities, diet, the indoor environment and personal care products, including cosmetics, and the range ofrnenvironmental chemicals now measureable in the human breast will be discussed. Specifically, evidence will be presented thatrnexposure to parabens and aluminium can have adverse effects on human breast epithelial cells at concentrations measured inrnsome human breast tissue samples. If exposure to complex mixtures of oestrogenic and/or genotoxic compounds in consumerrnproducts is a factor in breast cancer development, then a strategy for breast cancer prevention would be to minimise exposure.