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VoPham T, White AJ, Jones RR. Geospatial Science for the Environmental Epidemiology of Cancer in the Exposome Era. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024; 33:451-460. [PMID: 38566558 PMCID: PMC10996842 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-23-1237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Geospatial science is the science of location or place that harnesses geospatial tools, such as geographic information systems (GIS), to understand the features of the environment according to their locations. Geospatial science has been transformative for cancer epidemiologic studies through enabling large-scale environmental exposure assessments. As the research paradigm for the exposome, or the totality of environmental exposures across the life course, continues to evolve, geospatial science will serve a critical role in determining optimal practices for how to measure the environment as part of the external exposome. The objectives of this article are to provide a summary of key concepts, present a conceptual framework that illustrates how geospatial science is applied to environmental epidemiology in practice and through the lens of the exposome, and discuss the following opportunities for advancing geospatial science in cancer epidemiologic research: enhancing spatial and temporal resolutions and extents for geospatial data; geospatial methodologies to measure climate change factors; approaches facilitating the use of patient addresses in epidemiologic studies; combining internal exposome data and geospatial exposure models of the external exposome to provide insights into biological pathways for environment-disease relationships; and incorporation of geospatial data into personalized cancer screening policies and clinical decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trang VoPham
- Epidemiology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Alexandra J. White
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Rena R. Jones
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, NIH, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland
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2
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Li L, Stern RA, Garshick E, Zilli Vieira CL, Coull B, Koutrakis P. Predicting Monthly Community-Level Radon Concentrations with Spatial Random Forest in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:18001-18012. [PMID: 37839072 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
In 1987, the United States Environmental Protection Agency recommended installing a mitigation system when the indoor concentration of radon, a well-known carcinogenic radioactive gas, is at or above 148 Bq/m3. In response, tens of millions of short-term radon measurements have been conducted in residential buildings over the past three decades either for disclosure or to initially evaluate the need for mitigation. These measurements, however, are currently underutilized to assess population radon exposure in epidemiological studies. Based on two relatively small radon surveys, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory developed a state-of-the-art national radon model. However, this model only provides coarse and invariant radon estimations, which limits the ability of epidemiological studies to accurately investigate the health effects of radon, particularly the effects of acute exposure. This study involved obtaining over 2.8 million historical short-term radon measurements from independent laboratories. With the use of these measurements, an innovative spatial random forest (SRF) model was developed based on geological, architectural, socioeconomical, and meteorological predictors. The model was used to estimate monthly community-level radon concentrations for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) in the northeastern and midwestern regions of the United States from 2001 to 2020. Via cross-validation, we found that our ZCTA-level predictions were highly correlated with observations. The prediction errors declined quickly as the number of radon measurements in a ZCTA increased. When ≥15 measurements existed, the mean absolute error was 24.6 Bq/m3, or 26.5% of the observed concentrations (R2 = 0.70). Our study demonstrates the potential of the large amount of historical short-term radon measurements that have been obtained to accurately estimate longitudinal ZCTA-level radon exposures at unprecedented levels of resolutions and accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longxiang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Rebeca Ariel Stern
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Eric Garshick
- Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep, and Critical Care Medicine Section, VA Boston Healthcare System, 1400 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts 02132, United States
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Carolina L Zilli Vieira
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Brent Coull
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
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3
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Martinelli S, Medeiros AN, de Souza RF, Marconi AM, Navoni JA. Analysis of the cancer occurrence related to natural radioactivity in the Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:89140-89152. [PMID: 37442937 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28708-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The state of Rio Grande do Norte, located in the Northeast region of Brazil, has areas of granites and pegmatites with minerals that have varying concentrations of uranium. Consequently, high concentrations of radon gas, a carcinogenic substance for humans, can occur. The present study aimed to assess the occurrence of cancer and its association with exposure to sources of natural radioactivity using geological and geophysical information in the aforementioned state. The spatial dependence of pulmonary, breast, stomach, leukemia, and skin cancer cases with the location of radioisotope sources were analyzed using geoprocessing tools. The geoprocessing analysis showed a differential pattern of uranium emission throughout the state, with the highest emission from areas with pegmatites outcrops. A spatial dependency of cancer cases was shown (Moran index: 0.43; p < 0.01). Moreover, a higher rate of natural radioactivity-cancer cases was associated with the high-intensity natural radioactivity areas: odds ratio:1.21 (95% CI 1.20; 1.23), following the same pattern when separately compared the different related types of cancer. These results highlight the importance of natural radioactivity as a public health problem in the Brazilian environmental scenario, confirming the need for further studies as the first toward understanding and implementing health management strategies mitigating the exposures, especially in areas of environmental risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Martinelli
- Development and Environment, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Amanda Nogueira Medeiros
- Development and Environment, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Raquel Franco de Souza
- Development and Environment, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
- Center for Exact and Earth Sciences - Department of Geology, Laboratory of Geochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | | | - Julio Alejandro Navoni
- Development and Environment, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Avenida Sen. Salgado Filho, No. 3000, Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, 59078-970, Brazil.
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Stern RA, Lawrence J, Wolfson JM, Li L, Koutrakis P. Radon Sampling Methodologies: A case for accurate, accessible measurements using household instruments. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2023. [PMID: 37311115 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2023.2223149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Radon is a prevalent carcinogenic gas and the leading cause of lung cancer in the United States besides smoking. As the residential environment is the primary source of radon exposure, accessible and accurate measurements of radon in this environment are essential. However, no radon monitors have been evaluated that are inexpensive enough for regular household use. In this study, we examine two household-grade, continuous monitoring devices, the Ecosense RadonEye and EcoQube. We compare them to two research-grade instruments, the Durridge Company Rad7 and the Rad Elec Inc. E-PERM. In our study, the Ecosense household radon monitors performed accurately and can be used by homeowners and researchers alike as an affordable and reliable radon sensor. Implication: The ability of homeowners and renters to regularly monitor the radon levels inside their home is an important preventative health measure. However, low-cost instrumentation is needed that can provide accurate radon measurements. In this study, we show that the affordable Ecosense continuous monitors produce results that are in line with expensive research-grade instruments in a residential environment, over a range of concentrations. The Ecosense monitors may be suitable for home use, and they may provide a solution that can be used by policymakers and home-dwellers alike to improve regular radon monitoring in residences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Stern
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heath, Boston, USA
| | - Joy Lawrence
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heath, Boston, USA
| | - Jack M Wolfson
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heath, Boston, USA
| | - Longxiang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heath, Boston, USA
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heath, Boston, USA
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5
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Hahn EJ, Haneberg WC, Stanifer SR, Rademacher K, Backus J, Rayens MK. Geologic, seasonal, and atmospheric predictors of indoor home radon values. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, HEALTH : ERH 2023; 1:025011. [PMID: 37701077 PMCID: PMC10496436 DOI: 10.1088/2752-5309/acdcb3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to tobacco smoke and radon cause lung cancer. Radioactive decay of naturally occurring uranium in bedrock produces radon. Seasonality, bedrock type, age of home, and topography have been associated with indoor radon, but the research is mixed. The study objective was to examine the relationships of geologic (soil radon and bedrock) and seasonal (warm and cold times of the year) factors with indoor home radon values in citizen scientists' homes over time, controlling for atmospheric conditions, topography, age of home, and home exposure to tobacco smoke. We collected and analyzed indoor radon values, soil radon gas concentrations, and dwelling- and county-level geologic and atmospheric conditions on 66 properties in four rural counties during two seasons: (1) summer 2021 (n = 53); and (2) winter/spring 2022 (n = 52). Citizen scientists measured indoor radon using Airthings radon sensors, and outdoor temperature and rainfall. Geologists obtained soil radon measurements using RAD7 instruments at two locations (near the dwelling and farther away) at each dwelling, testing for associations of indoor radon values with soil values, bedrock type, topography, and atmospheric conditions. Bedrock type, near soil radon levels, home age, and barometric pressure were associated with indoor radon. Dwellings built on carbonate bedrock had indoor radon values that were 2.8 pCi/L (103.6 Bq m-3) higher, on average, compared to homes built on siliclastic rock. Homes with higher near soil radon and those built <40 ago were more likely to have indoor radon ⩾4.0 pCi/L (148 Bq m-3). With higher atmospheric barometric pressure during testing, observed indoor radon values were lower. Seasonality and topography were not associated with indoor radon level. Understanding relationships among bedrock type, soil radon, and indoor radon exposure allows the development of practical predictive models that may support pre-construction forecasting of indoor radon potential based on geologic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen J Hahn
- BREATHE, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America
| | - William C Haneberg
- Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America
| | - Stacy R Stanifer
- BREATHE, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America
| | - Kathy Rademacher
- BREATHE, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America
| | - Jason Backus
- Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America
| | - Mary Kay Rayens
- BREATHE, College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America
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6
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Ren J, Wang S, Bi K, Cheng M, Liu C, Zhou L, Xue X, Ji X. Machine Learning-Enabled Framework for High-Throughput Screening of MOFs: Application in Radon/Indoor Air Separation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:1305-1316. [PMID: 36575576 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c19207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Radon and its progeny may cause severe health hazards, especially for people working in underground spaces. Therefore, in this study, a hybrid artificial intelligence machine learning-enabled framework is proposed for high-throughput screening of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as adsorbents for radon separation from indoor air. MOFs from a specific database were initially screened using a pore-limiting diameter filter. Subsequently, random forest classification and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations were implemented to identify MOFs with a high adsorbent performance score (APS) and high regenerability (R %). Interpretability and trustworthiness were determined by variable importance analysis , and adsorption mechanisms were elucidated by calculating the adsorption sites using Materials Studio. Notably, two MOF candidates were discovered with higher APS values in both the radon/N2 and radon/O2 systems compared with that of ZrSQU which is the best-performing MOF thus far, with R % values exceeding 85%. Furthermore, the proposed framework can be flexibly applied to multiple data sets due to good performance in model transfer. Therefore, the proposed framework has the potential to provide guidelines for the strategic design of MOFs for radon separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyu Ren
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Shihui Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Kexin Bi
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
- Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin10623, Germany
| | - Min Cheng
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Chong Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Li Zhou
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Xiaoyu Xue
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
| | - Xu Ji
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Sichuan610065, China
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7
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White AJ, Gregoire AM, Fisher JA, Medgyesi DN, Li L, Koutrakis P, Sandler DP, Jones RR. Exposure to Particle Radioactivity and Breast Cancer Risk in the Sister Study: A U.S.-Wide Prospective Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:47701. [PMID: 35377195 PMCID: PMC8978644 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J. White
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Allyson M. Gregoire
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jared A. Fisher
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Danielle N. Medgyesi
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Longxiang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rena R. Jones
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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8
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Estimation of indoor radon and thoron levels along with their progeny in dwellings of Roopnagar District of Punjab, India. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-021-07993-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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9
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Mozzoni P, Pinelli S, Corradi M, Ranzieri S, Cavallo D, Poli D. Environmental/Occupational Exposure to Radon and Non-Pulmonary Neoplasm Risk: A Review of Epidemiologic Evidence. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:10466. [PMID: 34639764 PMCID: PMC8508162 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Although Radon (Rn) is a known agent for lung cancer, the link between Rn exposure and other non-pulmonary neoplasms remains unclear. The aim of this review is to investigate the role of Rn in the development of tumors other than lung cancer in both occupational and environmental exposure. Particularly, our attention has been focused on leukemia and tumors related to brain and central nervous system (CNS), skin, stomach, kidney, and breast. The epidemiologic literature has been systematically reviewed focusing on workers, general population, and pediatric population. A weak increase in leukemia risk due to Rn exposure was found, but bias and confounding factors cannot be ruled out. The results of studies conducted on stomach cancer are mixed, although with some prevalence for a positive association with Rn exposure. In the case of brain and CNS cancer and skin cancer, results are inconclusive, while no association was found for breast and kidney cancers. Overall, the available evidence does not support a conclusion that a causal association has been established between Rn exposure and the risk of other non-pulmonary neoplasms mainly due to the limited number and heterogeneity of existing studies. To confirm this result, a statistical analysis should be necessary, even if it is now not applicable for the few studies available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Mozzoni
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (P.M.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (S.R.)
- Centre for Research in Toxicology (CERT), University of Parma, Via A. Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Silvana Pinelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (P.M.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (S.R.)
| | - Massimo Corradi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (P.M.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (S.R.)
- Centre for Research in Toxicology (CERT), University of Parma, Via A. Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Silvia Ranzieri
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy; (P.M.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (S.R.)
| | - Delia Cavallo
- INAIL Research, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy;
| | - Diana Poli
- INAIL Research, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy;
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10
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Li L, Blomberg AJ, Stern RA, Kang CM, Papatheodorou S, Wei Y, Liu M, Peralta AA, Vieira CLZ, Koutrakis P. Predicting Monthly Community-Level Domestic Radon Concentrations in the Greater Boston Area with an Ensemble Learning Model. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:7157-7166. [PMID: 33939421 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Inhaling radon and its progeny is associated with adverse health outcomes. However, previous studies of the health effects of residential exposure to radon in the United States were commonly based on a county-level temporally invariant radon model that was developed using measurements collected in the mid- to late 1980s. We developed a machine learning model to predict monthly radon concentrations for each ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) in the Greater Boston area based on 363,783 short-term measurements by Spruce Environmental Technologies, Inc., during the period 2005-2018. A two-stage ensemble-based model was developed to predict radon concentrations for all ZCTAs and months. Stage one included 12 base statistical models that independently predicted ZCTA-level radon concentrations based on geological, architectural, socioeconomic, and meteorological factors for each ZCTA. Stage two aggregated the predictions of these 12 base models using an ensemble learning method. The results of a 10-fold cross-validation showed that the stage-two model has a good prediction accuracy with a weighted R2 of 0.63 and root mean square error of 22.6 Bq/m3. The community-level time-varying predictions from our model have good predictive precision and accuracy and can be used in future prospective epidemiological studies in the Greater Boston area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longxiang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Annelise J Blomberg
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Rebecca A Stern
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 29 Oxford St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Choong-Min Kang
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Stefania Papatheodorou
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yaguang Wei
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Man Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Adjani A Peralta
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Carolina L Z Vieira
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
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11
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Wu Q, Fang L, Yang Y, Wang A, Chen X, Sun J, Wan J, Hong C, Tong J, Tao S, Tian H. Protection of melatonin against long-term radon exposure-caused lung injury. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2021; 36:472-483. [PMID: 33107683 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Radon is one of the major pathogenic factors worldwide. Recently, epidemiological studies have suggested that radon exposure plays an important role in lung injury, which could further cause cancer. However, the toxic effects and underlying mechanism on lung injury are still not clear. Here, we identified the detailed toxic effects of long-term radon exposure. Specifically, the manifestations were inflammatory response and cell apoptosis in dose- and time-dependent manners. In detail, it caused the mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress as determined by the abnormal levels of mitochondrial DNA copy number, adenosine triphosphate, mitochondrial membrane potential, superoxide dismutase, and cycloxygenase-2. Furthermore, we found that melatonin treatment ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction and attenuated the levels of oxidative stress caused by long-term radon exposure, which could further inhibit the lung tissue apoptosis as determined by the decreased levels of cleaved caspase 3. Our study would provide potential therapeutic application of melatonin on lung tissue injury caused by long-term radon exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Wu
- School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Lijun Fang
- Shanghai Minhang District Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Shanghai, China
| | - Youjing Yang
- School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Aiqing Wang
- Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jiaojiao Sun
- School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jianmei Wan
- Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | | | - Jian Tong
- School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Shasha Tao
- School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Hailin Tian
- School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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12
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Zavala VA, Bracci PM, Carethers JM, Carvajal-Carmona L, Coggins NB, Cruz-Correa MR, Davis M, de Smith AJ, Dutil J, Figueiredo JC, Fox R, Graves KD, Gomez SL, Llera A, Neuhausen SL, Newman L, Nguyen T, Palmer JR, Palmer NR, Pérez-Stable EJ, Piawah S, Rodriquez EJ, Sanabria-Salas MC, Schmit SL, Serrano-Gomez SJ, Stern MC, Weitzel J, Yang JJ, Zabaleta J, Ziv E, Fejerman L. Cancer health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities in the United States. Br J Cancer 2021; 124:315-332. [PMID: 32901135 PMCID: PMC7852513 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01038-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 459] [Impact Index Per Article: 153.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There are well-established disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes by race/ethnicity that result from the interplay between structural, socioeconomic, socio-environmental, behavioural and biological factors. However, large research studies designed to investigate factors contributing to cancer aetiology and progression have mainly focused on populations of European origin. The limitations in clinicopathological and genetic data, as well as the reduced availability of biospecimens from diverse populations, contribute to the knowledge gap and have the potential to widen cancer health disparities. In this review, we summarise reported disparities and associated factors in the United States of America (USA) for the most common cancers (breast, prostate, lung and colon), and for a subset of other cancers that highlight the complexity of disparities (gastric, liver, pancreas and leukaemia). We focus on populations commonly identified and referred to as racial/ethnic minorities in the USA-African Americans/Blacks, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians/other Pacific Islanders and Hispanics/Latinos. We conclude that even though substantial progress has been made in understanding the factors underlying cancer health disparities, marked inequities persist. Additional efforts are needed to include participants from diverse populations in the research of cancer aetiology, biology and treatment. Furthermore, to eliminate cancer health disparities, it will be necessary to facilitate access to, and utilisation of, health services to all individuals, and to address structural inequities, including racism, that disproportionally affect racial/ethnic minorities in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina A Zavala
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Paige M Bracci
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John M Carethers
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics, and Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Luis Carvajal-Carmona
- University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Marcia R Cruz-Correa
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Melissa Davis
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adam J de Smith
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julie Dutil
- Cancer Biology Division, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico
| | - Jane C Figueiredo
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rena Fox
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kristi D Graves
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Scarlett Lin Gomez
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrea Llera
- Laboratorio de Terapia Molecular y Celular, IIBBA, Fundación Instituto Leloir, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Susan L Neuhausen
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Newman
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Interdisciplinary Breast Program, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tung Nguyen
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Julie R Palmer
- Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nynikka R Palmer
- Department of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eliseo J Pérez-Stable
- Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Office of the Director, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sorbarikor Piawah
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Erik J Rodriquez
- Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Stephanie L Schmit
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Silvia J Serrano-Gomez
- Grupo de investigación en biología del cáncer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Mariana C Stern
- Departments of Preventive Medicine and Urology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Weitzel
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jun J Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jovanny Zabaleta
- Department of Pediatrics and Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center LSUHSC, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Elad Ziv
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Laura Fejerman
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Haneberg WC, Wiggins A, Curl DC, Greb SF, Andrews WM, Rademacher K, Rayens MK, Hahn EJ. A Geologically Based Indoor-Radon Potential Map of Kentucky. GEOHEALTH 2020; 4:e2020GH000263. [PMID: 33283125 PMCID: PMC7682569 DOI: 10.1029/2020gh000263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
We combined 71,930 short-term (median duration 4 days) home radon test results with 1:24,000-scale bedrock geologic map coverage of Kentucky to produce a statewide geologically based indoor-radon potential map. The test results were positively skewed with a mean of 266 Bq/m3, median of 122 Bq/m3, and 75th percentile of 289 Bq/m3. We identified 106 formations with ≥10 test results. Analysis of results from 20 predominantly monolithologic formations showed indoor-radon concentrations to be positively skewed on a formation-by-formation basis, with a proportional relationship between sample means and standard deviations. Limestone (median 170 Bq/m3) and dolostone (median 130 Bq/m3) tended to have higher indoor-radon concentrations than siltstones and sandstones (median 67 Bq/m3) or unlithified surficial deposits (median 63 Bq/m3). Individual shales had median values ranging from 67 to 189 Bq/m3; the median value for all shale values was 85 Bq/m3. Percentages of values falling above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action level of 148 Bq/m3 were sandstone and siltstone: 24%, unlithified clastic: 21%, dolostone: 46%, limestone: 55%, and shale: 34%. Mississippian limestones, Ordovician limestones, and Devonian black shales had the highest indoor-radon potential values in Kentucky. Indoor-radon test mean values for the selected formations were also weakly, but statistically significantly, correlated with mean aeroradiometric uranium concentrations. To produce a map useful to nonspecialists, we classified each of the 106 formations into five radon-geologic classes on the basis of their 75th percentile radon concentrations. The statewide map is freely available through an interactive internet map service.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amanda Wiggins
- BREATHE, College of NursingUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
| | - Douglas C. Curl
- Kentucky Geological SurveyUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
| | - Stephen F. Greb
- Kentucky Geological SurveyUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
| | | | | | - Mary Kay Rayens
- BREATHE, College of NursingUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
| | - Ellen J. Hahn
- BREATHE, College of NursingUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
- Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of KentuckyLexingtonKYUSA
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14
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Association of cancer screening and residing in a coal-polluted East Asian region with overall survival of lung cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17432. [PMID: 33060705 PMCID: PMC7566617 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74082-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The Xuanwei-Fuyuan (XF) region of Yunnan, China has a high incidence of lung cancer from coal-related pollution. Effort to raise public awareness screening for lung cancer has been ongoing. We retrospectively analyzed overall survival (OS) of lung cancer patients of a tertiary cancer center in Yunnan to investigate screening and regional residential status as predictive factors. Consecutive cases of newly diagnosed lung cancer were reviewed. The lung cancer cases diagnosed by screening were more likely to be early-staged and treated by surgery than those diagnosed not by screening. In patients diagnosed not by screening, XF residential status was a significant predictor of improved OS. Frailty model detected significant heterogeneity associated with region of residence in unscreened patients. Potential biases associated with screening were examined by Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analyses. Focused effort in cancer screening and increased public awareness of pollution-related lung cancer in XF might have led to early diagnosis and improved OS, and increased investment in health care resources in high risk areas may have produced additional unobserved factors that underlay the association of XF residential status with improved OS in patients diagnosed not by screening.
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15
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Classical and Non-Classical Progesterone Signaling in Breast Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12092440. [PMID: 32867363 PMCID: PMC7563480 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Much emphasis is placed on estrogen (E2) and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling as most research is focused on understanding E2 and ER’s ability to enhance proliferative signals in breast cancers. Progesterone (P4) is important for normal mammary gland development, function and menstrual control. However, P4 and its receptors (PRs) in breast cancer etiology continue to be understudied and its role in breast cancer remains controversial. The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial clearly demonstrated the importance of progestogens in breast cancer development. P4 has historically been associated with classical-signaling through nuclear receptors, however non-classical P4 signaling via membrane receptors has been described. Progestogens have the ability to bind to nuclear and membrane receptors and studies have demonstrated that both can promote breast cancer cell proliferation and breast tumor growth. In this review, we attempt to understand the classical and non-classical signaling role of P4 in breast cancers because both nuclear and membrane receptors could become viable therapeutic options for breast cancer patients.
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16
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Peng C, DuPre N, VoPham T, Heng YJ, Baker GM, Rubadue CA, Glass K, Sonawane A, Zeleznik O, Kraft P, Hankinson SE, Eliassen AH, Hart JE, Laden F, Tamimi RM. Low dose environmental radon exposure and breast tumor gene expression. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:695. [PMID: 32723380 PMCID: PMC7385902 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07184-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified radon and its decay-products as Group-1-human-carcinogens, and with the current knowledge they are linked specifically to lung cancer. Biokinetic models predict that radon could deliver a carcinogenic dose to breast tissue. Our previous work suggested that low-dose radon was associated with estrogen-receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer risk. However, there is limited research to examine the role of radon in breast cancer biology at the tissue level. We aim to understand molecular pathways linking radon exposure with breast cancer biology using transcriptome-wide-gene-expression from breast tumor and normal-adjacent tissues. METHODS Our study included 943 women diagnosed with breast cancer from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and NHSII. We estimated cumulative radon concentration for each participant up-to the year of breast cancer diagnosis by linking residential addresses with a radon exposure model. Transcriptome-wide-gene-expression was measured with the Affymetrix-Glue-Human-Transcriptome-Array-3.0 and Human-Transcriptome-Array-2.0. We performed covariate-adjusted linear-regression for individual genes and further employed pathway-analysis. All analyses were conducted separately for tumor and normal-adjacent samples and by ER-status. RESULTS No individual gene was associated with cumulative radon exposure in ER-positive tumor, ER-negative tumor, or ER-negative normal-adjacent tissues at FDR < 5%. In ER-positive normal-adjacent samples, PLCH2-reached transcriptome-wide-significance (FDR < 5%). Gene-set-enrichment-analyses identified 2-upregulated pathways (MAPK signaling and phosphocholine biosynthesis) enriched at FDR < 25% in ER-negative tumors and normal-adjacent tissues, and both pathways have been previously reported to play key roles in ionizing radiation induced tumorigenesis in experimental settings. CONCLUSION Our findings provide insights into the molecular pathways of radon exposure that may influence breast cancer etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Peng
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Natalie DuPre
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Science, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Trang VoPham
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yujing J Heng
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gabrielle M Baker
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher A Rubadue
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kimberly Glass
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abhijeet Sonawane
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Oana Zeleznik
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter Kraft
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan E Hankinson
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - A Heather Eliassen
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jaime E Hart
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francine Laden
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rulla M Tamimi
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Helm JS, Rudel RA. Adverse outcome pathways for ionizing radiation and breast cancer involve direct and indirect DNA damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, genomic instability, and interaction with hormonal regulation of the breast. Arch Toxicol 2020. [PMID: 32399610 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02752-z)] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge about established breast carcinogens can support improved and modernized toxicological testing methods by identifying key mechanistic events. Ionizing radiation (IR) increases the risk of breast cancer, especially for women and for exposure at younger ages, and evidence overall supports a linear dose-response relationship. We used the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework to outline and evaluate the evidence linking ionizing radiation with breast cancer from molecular initiating events to the adverse outcome through intermediate key events, creating a qualitative AOP. We identified key events based on review articles, searched PubMed for recent literature on key events and IR, and identified additional papers using references. We manually curated publications and evaluated data quality. Ionizing radiation directly and indirectly causes DNA damage and increases production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). RONS lead to DNA damage and epigenetic changes leading to mutations and genomic instability (GI). Proliferation amplifies the effects of DNA damage and mutations leading to the AO of breast cancer. Separately, RONS and DNA damage also increase inflammation. Inflammation contributes to direct and indirect effects (effects in cells not directly reached by IR) via positive feedback to RONS and DNA damage, and separately increases proliferation and breast cancer through pro-carcinogenic effects on cells and tissue. For example, gene expression changes alter inflammatory mediators, resulting in improved survival and growth of cancer cells and a more hospitable tissue environment. All of these events overlap at multiple points with events characteristic of "background" induction of breast carcinogenesis, including hormone-responsive proliferation, oxidative activity, and DNA damage. These overlaps make the breast particularly susceptible to ionizing radiation and reinforce that these biological activities are important characteristics of carcinogens. Agents that increase these biological processes should be considered potential breast carcinogens, and predictive methods are needed to identify chemicals that increase these processes. Techniques are available to measure RONS, DNA damage and mutation, cell proliferation, and some inflammatory proteins or processes. Improved assays are needed to measure GI and chronic inflammation, as well as the interaction with hormonally driven development and proliferation. Several methods measure diverse epigenetic changes, but it is not clear which changes are relevant to breast cancer. In addition, most toxicological assays are not conducted in mammary tissue, and so it is a priority to evaluate if results from other tissues are generalizable to breast, or to conduct assays in breast tissue. Developing and applying these assays to identify exposures of concern will facilitate efforts to reduce subsequent breast cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Helm
- Silent Spring Institute, 320 Nevada Street, Suite 302, Newton, MA, 02460, USA
| | - Ruthann A Rudel
- Silent Spring Institute, 320 Nevada Street, Suite 302, Newton, MA, 02460, USA.
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18
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Helm JS, Rudel RA. Adverse outcome pathways for ionizing radiation and breast cancer involve direct and indirect DNA damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, genomic instability, and interaction with hormonal regulation of the breast. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:1511-1549. [PMID: 32399610 PMCID: PMC7261741 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02752-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge about established breast carcinogens can support improved and modernized toxicological testing methods by identifying key mechanistic events. Ionizing radiation (IR) increases the risk of breast cancer, especially for women and for exposure at younger ages, and evidence overall supports a linear dose-response relationship. We used the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework to outline and evaluate the evidence linking ionizing radiation with breast cancer from molecular initiating events to the adverse outcome through intermediate key events, creating a qualitative AOP. We identified key events based on review articles, searched PubMed for recent literature on key events and IR, and identified additional papers using references. We manually curated publications and evaluated data quality. Ionizing radiation directly and indirectly causes DNA damage and increases production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). RONS lead to DNA damage and epigenetic changes leading to mutations and genomic instability (GI). Proliferation amplifies the effects of DNA damage and mutations leading to the AO of breast cancer. Separately, RONS and DNA damage also increase inflammation. Inflammation contributes to direct and indirect effects (effects in cells not directly reached by IR) via positive feedback to RONS and DNA damage, and separately increases proliferation and breast cancer through pro-carcinogenic effects on cells and tissue. For example, gene expression changes alter inflammatory mediators, resulting in improved survival and growth of cancer cells and a more hospitable tissue environment. All of these events overlap at multiple points with events characteristic of "background" induction of breast carcinogenesis, including hormone-responsive proliferation, oxidative activity, and DNA damage. These overlaps make the breast particularly susceptible to ionizing radiation and reinforce that these biological activities are important characteristics of carcinogens. Agents that increase these biological processes should be considered potential breast carcinogens, and predictive methods are needed to identify chemicals that increase these processes. Techniques are available to measure RONS, DNA damage and mutation, cell proliferation, and some inflammatory proteins or processes. Improved assays are needed to measure GI and chronic inflammation, as well as the interaction with hormonally driven development and proliferation. Several methods measure diverse epigenetic changes, but it is not clear which changes are relevant to breast cancer. In addition, most toxicological assays are not conducted in mammary tissue, and so it is a priority to evaluate if results from other tissues are generalizable to breast, or to conduct assays in breast tissue. Developing and applying these assays to identify exposures of concern will facilitate efforts to reduce subsequent breast cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Helm
- Silent Spring Institute, 320 Nevada Street, Suite 302, Newton, MA, 02460, USA
| | - Ruthann A Rudel
- Silent Spring Institute, 320 Nevada Street, Suite 302, Newton, MA, 02460, USA.
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19
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Chiavacci SJ, Shapiro CD, Pindilli EJ, Casey CF, Rayens MK, Wiggins AT, Andrews WM, Hahn EJ. Economic valuation of health benefits from using geologic data to communicate radon risk potential. Environ Health 2020; 19:36. [PMID: 32197610 PMCID: PMC7083012 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-020-00589-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide and represents a major health concern within and outside the United States. Mitigating exposure to radon is especially critical in places with high rates of tobacco smoking (e.g., Kentucky, USA), as radon-induced lung cancer is markedly greater among people exposed to tobacco smoke. Despite homes being a common source of radon exposure, convincing homeowners to test and mitigate for radon remains a challenge. A new communication strategy to increase radon testing among Kentucky homeowners utilizes fine-scale geologic map data to create detailed radon risk potential maps. We assessed the health benefits of this strategy via avoided lung cancer and associated premature mortality and quantified the economic value of these benefits to indicate the potential utility of using geologic map data in radon communication strategies. METHODS We estimated the change in radon testing among all 120 counties in Kentucky following a new communication strategy reliant on geologic maps. We approximated the resultant potential change in radon mitigation rates and subsequent expected lung cancer cases and mortality avoided among smokers and non-smokers exposed to 4 pCi/L of radon in the home. We then applied the value of a statistical life to derive the economic value of the expected avoided mortality. RESULTS The new communication strategy is estimated to help 75 Kentucky residents in 1 year avoid exposure to harmful radon levels via increased testing and mitigation rates. This equated to the potential avoidance of approximately one premature death due to lung cancer, with a net present value of $3.4 to $8.5 million (2016 USD). CONCLUSIONS Our analysis illustrates the potential economic value of health benefits associated with geologic map data used as part of a communication strategy conveying radon risk to the public. Geologic map data are freely available in varying resolutions throughout the United States, suggesting Kentucky's radon communication strategy using geologic maps can be employed in other states to educate the public about radon. As this is only a single application, in a single state, the economic and health benefits of geologic map data in educating the public about radon are likely to exceed our estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J. Chiavacci
- Science and Decisions Center, United States Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA 20191 USA
| | - Carl D. Shapiro
- Science and Decisions Center, United States Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA 20191 USA
| | - Emily J. Pindilli
- Science and Decisions Center, United States Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA 20191 USA
| | - Clyde F. Casey
- Science and Decisions Center, United States Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, Reston, VA 20191 USA
| | - Mary Kay Rayens
- University of Kentucky College of Nursing, BREATHE, Lexington, KY 40536 USA
| | - Amanda T. Wiggins
- University of Kentucky College of Nursing, BREATHE, Lexington, KY 40536 USA
| | - William M. Andrews
- Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506 USA
| | - Ellen J. Hahn
- University of Kentucky College of Nursing, BREATHE, Lexington, KY 40536 USA
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20
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Vieira VM, VoPham T, Bertrand KA, James P, DuPré N, Tamimi RM, Laden F, Hart JE. Contribution of socioeconomic and environmental factors to geographic disparities in breast cancer risk in the Nurses' Health Study II. Environ Epidemiol 2020; 4:e080. [PMID: 33344878 PMCID: PMC7747944 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence of geographic disparities in breast cancer incidence within the U.S. and spatial analyses can provide insight into the potential contribution of environmental exposures or other geographically-varying factors to these disparities. METHODS We applied generalized additive models (GAMs) to smooth geocoded residential coordinates while adjusting for covariates. Our analysis included 3,478 breast cancer cases among 24,519 control women from the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII). We first examined associations with residential location during adolescence (high school address) or early adulthood (address in 1991). We then assessed the contribution from known individual-level risk factors, measures of socioeconomic status (SES), and occupational and environmental factors that vary spatially and have been linked to breast cancer. Secondary analyses by estrogen receptor (ER) and menopausal status were also conducted. RESULTS We identified geographic patterns of breast cancer risk associated with location during adolescence, with increased risk apparent in Michigan, the Northwest, and the New York City area, that shifted to southern New England when addresses during early adulthood were analyzed. Similar results were observed after adjustment for individual- and area-level factors, although spatial associations were no longer statistically significant. CONCLUSION Breast cancer risk is not spatially uniform across the U.S. and incidence patterns varied depending on the timing during life of the residence considered. Geographic disparities persisted even after accounting for established and suspected breast cancer risk factors, suggesting that unmeasured environmental or lifestyle risk factors may explain geographic variation in risk in different parts of the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica M Vieira
- Program in Public Health, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences. University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Trang VoPham
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Peter James
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Natalie DuPré
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Rulla M Tamimi
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Francine Laden
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaime E Hart
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Exposure, Epidemiology, and Risk Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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21
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Liu XD, Xie DF, Wang YL, Guan H, Huang RX, Zhou PK. Integrated analysis of lncRNA–mRNA co-expression networks in the α-particle induced carcinogenesis of human branchial epithelial cells. Int J Radiat Biol 2018; 95:144-155. [DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2019.1539880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dan Liu
- Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, PR China
| | - Da-Fei Xie
- Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yi-Long Wang
- Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, PR China
| | - Hua Guan
- Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, PR China
| | - Rui-Xue Huang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Heath, Central South University, Changsha, PR China
| | - Ping-Kun Zhou
- Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, AMMS, Beijing, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory, School of Public Health, Institute for Chemical Carcinogenesis, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
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