Mammary Tumor Growth From Firefighter Occupational Hazard Materials

With the goal of filling a research gap on firefighter exposure and breast cancer risk, researchers aimed to identify the toxic occupational exposures linked to breast cancer. The study was published in a special issue of Toxins dedicated to examining the occupational exposures and health risks firefighters face.

The research group searched through databases from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the US National Toxicology Program to identify chemicals that cause mammary tumors in animals, which are more likely to increase breast cancer risk. They also searched for chemicals that have been associated with breast cancer in human studies.

The researchers identified twelve chemical exposures that were elevated among firefighters and also associated with increased breast cancer risk in epidemiological studies or increased incidence of mammary gland tumors in rodents.

Of the nine chemicals or chemical groups with strong evidence of firefighter exposure, the researchers determined that there were two that most likely increased breast cancer risk: benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Acetaldehyde, styrene, and replacement flame retardants were considered to have a moderate likelihood of increasing breast cancer risk after exposure.

“Our study clarifies the evidence that at least a dozen firefighter chemical exposures may be increasing the risk of breast cancer in the firefighting occupation. Since females have been a small proportion of firefighters in the past, breast cancer has rarely been noted as an occupational hazard,” the researchers concluded.