A groundbreaking study from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center reveals that women living near Superfund sites in Florida face increased risks of aggressive breast cancers. The research highlights the urgent need to address environmental health disparities.
Women residing near federally designated Superfund sites in Florida are significantly more likely to develop aggressive breast cancers, including the challenging-to-treat triple-negative subtype. This alarming correlation was uncovered by recent studies conducted by the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
The research builds on a National Institutes of Health study, which noted a rise in aggressive, treatment-resistant breast cancer forms. Sylvester researchers connected this increase to environmental factors, specifically proximity to Superfund sites — locations contaminated by hazardous waste that the Environmental Protection Agency identifies as needing urgent cleanup.
“Members of our community raised concerns that where they lived was making people sick,” Erin Kobetz, an epidemiologist and associate director for community outreach and engagement at Sylvester and the Judy H. Schulte Senior Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, said in a news release. “Overwhelmingly, the people who were speaking up about this lived in a neighborhood relatively close to a Superfund site. There’s a growing body of evidence that living in neighborhoods close to these sites is associated with poor health outcomes.”
Florida hosts 52 active Superfund sites, and the surrounding communities have been rallying for greater awareness and action. In response, Kobetz and her colleagues conducted three comprehensive studies to explore the connections between these toxic sites and breast cancer.
Significant Findings
One study analyzed over 21,000 breast cancer cases diagnosed between 2015 and 2019, assessing the impact of living near a Superfund site. The results showed a startling 30% increase in the likelihood of having metastatic breast cancer for those living close to these toxic locations.
The team then specifically investigated triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), one of the most aggressive subtypes. They discovered that proximity to Superfund sites correlated with a higher risk of developing TNBC. Furthermore, they found that exposure to particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), a pollutant smaller than 2.5 microns, significantly raised the likelihood of TNBC.
The two studies, published in Scientific Reports and Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, underscore the potential breast cancer risk associated with merely residing near a Superfund site.
“These studies, as well as federal funding priorities, give an increasing emphasis on the role of the environment in health outcomes,” Kobetz added. “We need to better appreciate how environmental conditions may be driving variability in cancer outcomes.”
Molecular Insights and Community Impact
To delve deeper into the molecular underpinnings, the research team, co-led by Aristeidis Telonis, a research assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Miller School of Medicine, examined genetic biomarkers of breast cancer patients from the Miami area. They compared these biomarkers to neighborhood conditions influencing health outcomes.
“This deprivation index is very strongly associated with more aggressive breast cancers,” Telonis said in the news release. “It’s a simple, but very important correlation.”
The research, published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, provides groundbreaking insight into how environmental factors shape cancer at the molecular level.
Telonis and his team aim to leverage these findings to tailor personalized treatment plans considering both tumor characteristics and patients’ living conditions.
“The goal is that when a patient comes in, the doctor not only assesses the tumor characteristics but also considers the patient’s resources and what that may mean molecularly,” added Telonis. “Eventually, that should help inform treatment.”
Towards a Healthier Future
Kobetz highlighted the importance of community involvement in driving the research forward.
“We have a signal, and we’re compelled and encouraged by our Community Advisory Committee to pursue it,” Kobetz said. “The community had a perspective, and now we have empirical and scientific data to suggest that their concerns may be valid. These studies are the first puzzle pieces that will help us figure out what we should be focusing on next.”