Environmental Exposures during Puberty: Window of Breast Cancer Risk and Epigenetic Damage

Rama Natarajan, Dana Aljaber, Dawn Au, Christine Thai, Angelica Sanchez, Alan Nunez, Cristal Resto, Tanya Chavez, Marta M. Jankowska, Tarik Benmarhnia, Jiue-An Yang, Veronica Jones, Jerneja Tomsic, Jeannine S. McCune, Christopher Sistrunk, Stacey Doan, Mayra Serrano, Robert D. Cardiff, Eric C. Dietze and Victoria L. Seewaldt
Additional contact information
Rama Natarajan: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Dana Aljaber: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Dawn Au: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Christine Thai: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Angelica Sanchez: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Alan Nunez: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Cristal Resto: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Tanya Chavez: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Marta M. Jankowska: Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
Tarik Benmarhnia: Family Medicine and Public Health San Diego, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
Jiue-An Yang: Qualcomm Institute/Calit2, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
Veronica Jones: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Jerneja Tomsic: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Jeannine S. McCune: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Christopher Sistrunk: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Stacey Doan: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Mayra Serrano: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Robert D. Cardiff: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Eric C. Dietze: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
Victoria L. Seewaldt: City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: During puberty, a woman’s breasts are vulnerable to environmental damage (“window of vulnerability”). Early exposure to environmental carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and unhealthy foods (refined sugar, processed fats, food additives) are hypothesized to promote molecular damage that increases breast cancer risk. However, prospective human studies are difficult to perform and effective interventions to prevent these early exposures are lacking. It is difficult to prevent environmental exposures during puberty. Specifically, young women are repeatedly exposed to media messaging that promotes unhealthy foods. Young women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods experience additional challenges including a lack of access to healthy food and exposure to contaminated air, water, and soil. The purpose of this review is to gather information on potential exposures during puberty. In future directions, this information will be used to help elementary/middle-school girls to identify and quantitate environmental exposures and develop cost-effective strategies to reduce exposures.

Keywords: environment; breast cancer risk; empowerment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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