Special Projects

Younger Women | Black Women | Lesbians

Younger Women

Pre-menopausal women (those under 50 years of age) are now experiencing an unprecedented increase in the rate of breast cancer diagnoses. Between 1979 an 1999, U.S. breast cancer rates for this age group increased by 9.8%; the rate increase for young Black women during this time period was even higher at 24.6%.

Known and possible major risk factors

According to Dr Samuel Epstein, founder of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, three major breast cancer risk factors for women below the age of 50 are:

• Milk/Dairy products containing rBGH (bovine growth hormones):
  Recent research indicates that pre-menopausal women who consume milk and dairy products containing rBHG, experience a 7-fold increase in breast cancer incidence. See NBCPP’s 7-Point Prevention Plan for more information on the rBGH milk risk factor.
• Annual mammograms: The American Association of Physician (AAP) has stopped recommending annual screening mammograms for pre-menopausal women who do not have a family history of breast cancer. See NBCPP’s 7-Point Prevention Plan for more information on pre-menopausal mammograms.
• Contraceptive Drug Use: There is virtually no published research that examines breast cancer risk factors for the 12 million teenagers and younger women who are currently using contraceptive drugs within the United States. Studies on women using earlier generations of contraceptive drugs, (1970’s through the 1990’s) indicate that women experienced a 44% to 144% increased risk of developing breast cancer on the pill. See NBCPP’s 7-Point Prevention Plan for more information on the links between contraceptive drugs and breast cancer.

Black Women

Both younger and post menopausal Black women are more likely to experience a higher percentage of the most aggressive types of breast tumors and experience a higher mortality rate from breast cancer than white women.

Hair care products that contain placenta (a natural hormone) and other ingredients in skin products created for the African American market, may be possible, probable or known carcinogens. Working with chemicals in manufacturing or in beauty salon jobs, holding line jobs in the telephone or electrical industries and/or living near industrial air and water pollution are also considered to be high risk factors for these highly aggressive breast cancer tumors that are disproportionately affecting Black women.

Next Steps

Working with national and state breast cancer prevention organizations, NBCPP’s role is to bring this information about younger women and Black women’s breast cancer risk factors to public attention through public relations campaigns, through conference presentations and by publishing non-technical articles and books on the subject.

To better understand why and how so many women in the United States are being swept up in this national epidemic at increasing speed, please read the most recent information on known, possible and probable environmental causes of breast cancer, see the Silent Spring Institute 2007 Study: Environmental Factors in Breast Cancer ; the Breast Cancer Fund’s 2008 Report: State of the Evidence: What is the Connection Between the Environment and Breast Cancer? ; And the 2006 Consensus statement on Breast Cancer and the Environment of the Breast Cancer Working Group of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment.

Many ingredients in cosmetics and body care products still sold in the U.S. are now banned from sale in the European Union as they contain possible, probable or known carcinogenic ingredients. The U.S. needs Breast Cancer Prevention Laws, similar to those regulations and laws now enjoyed by European Union residents.

"From 1979 to 1999, the rate of breast cancer for white women under 50, increased by 9.8%; this rate increase for young Black women was even higher, at 26.4%..."

Susan Wadia-Ells, National Breast Cancer Prevention Project,
Women on the Pill are Flying Blind,
Cape Cod Times, October 19, 2007.

"We now have 12 million teenagers, as well as women under 50, using the Pill. Why is no one publishing studies about the breast cancer risks for women within this 3 billion dollar U.S. oral contraceptives market?"

Susan Wadia-Ells Ph.D., Breast Cancer and Oral Contraceptives, Salem Evening News (MA) October 10, 2007.

Lesbians

Recent informal research across the country indicates that women in the lesbian community may be experiencing higher rates of breast cancer than their heterosexual counterparts.

A few risk factors that have been mentioned in a variety of anecdotal studies or articles describing the lesbian community and breast cancer include:

• Higher BMI index than average BMI
• Giving birth to no children or fewer children than average
• Giving birth at a later age than average
• Higher levels of alcohol use than average

Next Steps

The project will work with national and state breast cancer prevention organizations and lesbian health projects to develop an overview of the problem and publish articles that can increase individuals’ understanding of the numerous breast cancer risk factors that may be involved in these elevated rates of breast cancer within the lesbian community.

if synthetic hormones like those used in HRT are now understood to increase the risk of cancer and other diseases, shouldn’t we be sure to test the effect of other endocrine disrupters before letting them into our live?

Teresa Heinz Kerry, This Moment on Earth: Today’s New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future, NY, BBS Public Affairs, NY, 2007.