Women and Chemicals

Women’s health under threat
avoidable factor, the prevention of involuntary exposure to
chemicals should be a major priority.
Take the influence of exposure of women to specific chemicals
on oestrogen. Research shows that the cyclical secretion of
oestrogens during a woman’s life is a key risk factor for breast
cancer. The more oestrogen one receives during life, the higher
the overall risk. 10 The length and intensity of exposure is dependent
on different parameters like a woman’s age at first menstrual
period, first pregnancy, and menopause, her number of pregnancies
and history of breastfeeding. Lifetime oestrogen exposure
may yet be increased by exposure through e.g. oestrogenic
hormone disruptors, birth control pills, and hormone replacement
therapy. Nowadays, the average exposure of natural oestrogen
to women is on the rise, as we see an overall decrease in
the age of first menstruation, an overall delay in the onset of
menopause and an increase of infertility problems among women.
All these issues have been linked to environmental and endocrine
disrupting chemicals and substances such as bisphenol A,
phthalates and lead. 11, 12 As there is a developing understanding
that synthetic oestrogens are an additional risk factor, concerns
are growing over other oestrogen-like chemicals present in the
environment, in food, cosmetics and personal care products. Exposures
during prenatal and pubertal development appear to be
especially critical, although the specific details of how each
chemical promotes cancer are not yet known.
More than 200 chemicals have been associated with an
increased incidence of breast tumors in humans and/or lab
animals. 13 Exposures during prenatal and pubertal development
appear to be especially critical, although the specific
details of how each chemical promotes cancer is not yet
known. Breast cancer, like other reproductive disorders, probably
results from disruption during more than one stage of
breast development. 14
An overview of current studies and facts regarding breast
cancer and environmental pollutants is given by WHO and UNEP
in their report, State of the Science of Endocrine disrupting
Chemicals from 2012. 15 This report mentions studies that highlight
the importance of factors like stress, occupational exposure
or shift work but also chemical exposure to endocrine disrupting
substances and carcinogens and lifetime exposure to synthetic
and natural oestrogens. 16, 17 According to the WHO/ UNEP report 18
studies link chemicals like PCDD/F, PCBs, organic solvents 19 , DES 20,
21
, BPA 22, 23 , PAHs, phenols, alkylphenols, phthalates, parabens, styrene,
metals, phytoestrogens, chemicals in first or second-hand
smoke 24 , to breast cancer. For example, where DDT/DDE exposures
during earlier life stages (puberty) could be reconstructed,
breast cancer risks became apparent. 25 This echoes insights from
the DES epidemiology where the importance of periods of
heightened vulnerability during development became obvious.
26 There are also indications that exposure to cadmium, an
oestrogen mimic, is associated with breast cancer. 27
Although it is clear that the causes for breast cancer are
manifold, it cannot be dismissed that environmental chemicals
play a critical role. Therefore concerns are growing that there is a
lack of human studies in this field, and more research of this kind
should be undertaken.
160
No. of female breast cancer
incidence per 100000
140
120
100
80
60
40
0
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Year
2000
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
2005
2010
2015
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
European Union
The rise in the number of new breast
cancer age standardized cases in
several countries. All data from World
Health Organisation (WHO), 2010,
European health for all database
(HFA-DB), World Health Organisation
Regional Office for Europe. 8
18