Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Nov:151:419-427.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.08.013. Epub 2016 Aug 18.

Prospective study of ultraviolet radiation exposure and risk of breast cancer in the United States

Rachel D Zamoiski  1 , D Michal Freedman  2 , Martha S Linet  2 , Cari M Kitahara  2 , Wayne Liu  2 , Elizabeth K Cahoon  2
Affiliations

Prospective study of ultraviolet radiation exposure and risk of breast cancer in the United States

Rachel D Zamoiski et al. Environ Res. 2016 Nov.

Abstract

Although there are few environmental risk factors for breast cancer, some epidemiologic studies found that exposure to solar UV radiation (UVR) may lower risk. Prior epidemiologic studies are limited by narrow ambient UVR ranges and lack lifetime exposure assessment. To address these issues, we studied a cohort with residences representing a wide range of ambient UVR. Using the nationwide U.S. Radiologic Technologists study (USRT), we examined the association between breast cancer risk and UVR based on ambient UVR, time outdoors, a combined variable of ambient UVR and time outdoors (combined UVR), and sun susceptibility factors. Participants reported location of residence and hours spent outdoors during five age periods. Ambient UVR was derived by linking satellite-based annual UVR estimates to self-reported residences. Lifetime values were calculated by averaging these measures accounting for years spent in that location. We examined the risk of breast cancer among 36,725 participants (n=716 cases) from baseline questionnaire completion (2003-2005) through 2012-2013 using Cox proportional hazards models. Breast cancer risk was unrelated to ambient UVR (HR for lifetime 5th vs 1st quintile=1.22, 95% CI: 0.95-1.56, p-trend=0.36), time outdoors (HR for lifetime 5th vs 1st quintile=0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.68-1.10, p-trend=0.46), or combined UVR (HR lifetime 5th vs 1st quintile =0.85, 95% CI: 0.67-1.08, p-trend=0.46). Breast cancer risk was not associated with skin complexion, eye or hair color, or sunburn history. This study does not support the hypothesis that UVR exposure lowers breast cancer risk.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Cancer epidemiology; Sunlight; Ultraviolet radiation; Vitamin D.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None to declare.

Comment in

References

    1. Anderson LN, Cotterchio M, Kirsh VA, Knight JA. Ultraviolet sunlight exposure during adolescence and adulthood and breast cancer risk: a population-based case-control study among Ontario women. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;174(3):293–304. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwr091. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Boice JD, Jr, Mandel JS, Doody MM, Yoder RC, McGowan R. A health survey of radiologic technologists. Cancer. 1992;69(2):586–598. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1728391. - PubMed
    1. Breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy: collaborative reanalysis of data from 51 epidemiological studies of 52,705 women with breast cancer and 108,411 women without breast cancer. Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Lancet. 1997;350(9084):1047–1059. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10213546. - PubMed
    1. Cancer Facts & Figures 2015. 2015 Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@editorial/documents/document/a....
    1. Claus EB, Risch N, Thompson WD. Genetic analysis of breast cancer in the cancer and steroid hormone study. Am J Hum Genet. 1991;48(2):232–242. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1990835. - PMC - PubMed