Are environmental exposures of interest for breast cancer risk linked to socioeconomic characteristics?
Nancy Irwin Maxwell, DSc1, Steven Melly, MS1, Ruth Polk, MS1, Thomas Mangione, PhD2, and Julia G. Brody, PhD1. (1) Silent Spring Institute, 29 Crafts Street, Newton, MA 02458, 617-332-4288, nmaxwell@silentspring.org, (2) Survey Research Group, JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc, 44 Farnsworth St, Boston, MA 02210 The Newton (Massachusetts) Breast Cancer Study was undertaken in response to community concerns about elevated incidence in this Boston suburb. We surveyed women in higher- and lower-incidence areas of Newton, seeking to identify factors that distinguished the two parts of the city. The survey included questions about known risk factors for breast cancer, environmental factors (whose status as risk factors is unknown), background and living situation, and breast cancer screening. This dataset affords the opportunity to study socioeconomic patterns in environmental exposures. Research has shown that women of higher socioeconomic status have higher breast cancer risk. Part
