The Association between Outdoor Artificial Light at Night and Breast Cancer Risk in Black and White Women in the Southern Community Cohort Study
Menée aux Etats-Unis auprès de 43 500 femmes, cette étude analyse l'association entre une exposition résidentielle à la lumière nocturne artificielle et le risque de cancer du sein, en fonction de l'origine ethnique
Black women in the United States are more likely to develop breast cancer at a younger age and to be diagnosed with more aggressive subtypes and more advanced stage disease, both contributing to higher rates of breast cancer mortality among Black women. Light at night (LAN) has been proposed as a breast cancer risk factor because it inhibits nighttime production of melatonin, a hormone that may modulate biological pathways involved in breast cancer carcinogenesis. Several epidemiologic studies have linked higher outdoor LAN estimated from satellite imagery to elevated incidence of breast cancer, including in cohorts predominantly comprised of White women with relatively high socioeconomic status (SES). However, it remains unclear whether LAN is associated with breast cancer risk among Black women and women of lower SES.