List of breast carcinogenic substances

1. Cadmium, a highly persistent heavy metal, has been categorized as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Primary exposure sources include food and tobacco smoke. Cadmium mimics the in vivo effects of estrogen in the uterus and mammary. Exposure to cadmium may be a direct risk factor for developing breast cancer in a woman and her unborn baby;

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2. DES (diethylstilbestrol is a synthetic form of estrogen. It has been used between the early 1940s and 1971. Pregnant Women took DES to prevent certain complications. Research found that they are at a slightly higher risk for breast cancer, although this does not appear to be the case for their daughters who were exposed to DES before birth. However, more studies are needed;

3. Some studies suggest a slightly higher risk of breast cancer among women who drink alcohol;

4. Organochlorines are synthetic chemicals containing chlorine and carbon. Many of them are xenoestrogens or estrogens mimics. They include many chemicals present in pesticides, plastics, PCBs, pulp and paper manufacturing, sewage treatment and solvents. These chemicals can enhance human breast cancer cell proliferation, and promote transformation and invasiveness of human breast cancer cells.

References

• Original text from List of breast carcinogenic substances, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
• Johnson MD et al, Nat Med. 2003 Aug;9(8):1081-4. Epub 2003 Jul 13.
• http://www.ehponline.org/members/2001/109p391-397payne/payne.pdf