Jul 2026· Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention· pp. OF1-OF8· 0 citations
Medicine
TL;DR
The findings do not strongly support an association with invasive ovarian cancer, but suggest that air pollution, as indicated by NO₂ concentrations, may increase the risk of borderline tumours.
Abstract
Background
Ambient air pollution may influence ovarian cancer risk but remains understudied. We examined long-term exposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in relation to the risk of invasive and borderline epithelial ovarian tumours.
Methods
In a 2011-2016 population-based case-control study in Greater Montreal (Island of Montreal, North and South Shores), 473 cases and 887 controls provided residential postal codes at study participation, which were linked to mean NO2 concentrations from a national land-use regression (LUR) model. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ovarian cancer overall. Polytomous logistic regression estimated associations for borderline and invasive tumours separately. Sensitivity analyses used NO2 concentrations from an alternative LUR model specific to the Island of Montreal.
Results
For each interquartile range (IQR) increment (9.6 ppb) in ambient NO2, the OR (95% CI) of ovarian cancer overall was 1.07 (0.89-1.30), adjusted for age, education and area-level income. For borderline tumours, the adjusted OR (95% CIs) per IQR of NO2 was 1.36 (0.99-1.87), while for invasive cancer was 0.98 (0.79-1.21). Results were similar using NO2 estimates specific to the Island of Montreal, and with adjustment for fine particulate matter.
Conclusion
Our findings do not strongly support an association with invasive ovarian cancer, but suggest that air pollution, as indicated by NO₂ concentrations, may increase the risk of borderline tumours.
IMPACT
This study addresses an important gap, given limited previous work on air pollution and ovarian cancer, and brings new findings as the first to analyze borderline and invasive tumours separately.
Increasing PM2.5, NO2, NOx, and CO exposures were suggestively associated with increased CRC incidence, particularly among female and Latino participants and for left colon and rectal cancers.
U. Ihenacho, Chiu‐Cheng Tseng, Jun Wu et al.· Environmental Research· 0 citations
An increase in formaldehyde concentration in the air is associated with a gain in breast cancer incidence, especially at the early stages, and it is advisable to strengthen formaldehyde monitoring, implement molecular epidemiological screening of these polymorphisms and active detection of breast cancer in genetically determined risk groups.
O. N. Gulyaeva, Ivan E. Tereshkin, V. Kislitsyna et al.· Hygiene and Sanitation· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, with increasing incidence in many developing countries. Understanding region-specific risk factors is essential for effective prevention strategies. This study aimed to identify major determinants of lung cancer in North Sumatra, Indonesia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A hospital-based observational study with a case-control analytical approach was conducted between August and November 2024 in three referral hospitals in North Sumatra. A total of 240 patients with histologically confirmed lung cancer and 240 controls without malignancy or chronic respiratory disease were included. Participants were comparable by sex and residential area, while age differences between groups were statistically adjusted in the multivariate regression model.
RESULTS
Smoking exposure differed significantly between cases and controls (p = 0.023). The multivariate analysis identified several independent predictors of lung cancer. Age <45 years increased the risk more than two-fold (OR 2.62; 95% CI 1.10-6.21), whereas age >65 years showed a lower relative risk (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.33-0.88). The occupational exposure signicantly increased lung cancer risk (OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.13-3.25). Unhealthy indoor environments, characterized by poor ventilation and household pollutant exposure, were also associated with an increased risk (OR 2.53; 95% CI 1.45-4.40). Chronic respiratory diseases, particularly tuberculosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, were more prevalent among cases and contributed to the elevated risk.
CONCLUSIONS
Smoking exposure, occupational hazards, unhealthy indoor environments, and chronic pulmonary diseases are important determinants of lung cancer in North Sumatra. Public health strategies focusing on tobacco control, improved workplace safety, and reduction of indoor air pollution may substantially reduce lung cancer burden in this region.
Putri Aulia Anwar, Noni Novisari Soeroso, Setia Putra Tarigan et al.· Experimental oncology· 0 citations
Objective To estimate the lifetime risks of developing and dying from respiratory system cancers across 185 countries and territories and to examine their associations with socioeconomic development and air pollution. Methods GLOBOCAN 2022 data for 185 countries and territories were combined with United Nations life tables to estimate lifetime risks using an adjusted-for-multiple-primaries framework. Country-level air pollution indicators for 2022 were obtained from OpenWeather. Estimates were stratified by Human Development Index (HDI) and World Bank income groups, and associations between lifetime risk and PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and SO2 were assessed using univariable linear regression. Results Globally, the lifetime risk of developing and dying from lung cancer was 4.92% and 4.08%, respectively, far exceeding those for laryngeal cancer (0.33% and 0.20%). A marked socioeconomic gradient was identified: lung cancer incidence risk ranged from 0.34% in low-HDI countries to 5.45% in very high-HDI countries. All four pollutants were positively associated with lifetime risk, with PM2.5 showing the strongest correlation in the primary univariable analyses. Conclusions Substantial geographic and socioeconomic disparities exist in respiratory cancer lifetime risk, with lung cancer as the dominant driver. The observed ecological associations with air pollutants support further investigation of environmental factors in cancer prevention.
Meng Jiang, Yu Qian, Qilong Wang et al.· Preventive medicine reports· 0 citations
Background Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with significant regional and sex differences in incidence and mortality. Although age-standardized rates are commonly used for comparisons, they do not reflect the cumulative lifetime risk, which is important for understanding the full burden of the disease because it captures the probability of an individual developing or dying from lung cancer over their lifetime. Methods This study estimates global lifetime risk of incidence (LRI) and lifetime risk of mortality (LRM) using GLOBOCAN 2022 data and the adjusted for multiple primaries method. Socioeconomic indicators (Human Development Index, national income) came from the UN Development Programme and World Bank; air pollutant exposures from global environmental databases; and smoking-related indicators from the WHO Global Health Observatory. Associations between LRI/LRM and these factors were then explored. Results In 2022, global LRI was 4.91%, and LRM was 4.07%. Regionally, North America exhibited the highest LRI (7.30%) and LRM (5.38%), while Africa had the lowest (LRI: 0.99%, LRM: 0.93%). Globally and across all continents, lifetime risks were significantly higher in males than in females. Regression analysis revealed that smoking prevalence was positively associated with both LRI (β = 0.001, P < 0.001) and LRM (β = 0.0002, P < 0.01). Exposure to PM1 was strongly linked to higher LRI (β = 0.40, P = 0.001) and LRM (β = 0.20, P = 0.006); PM2.5 showed similar associations (LRI: β = 0.36, P = 0.002; LRM: β = 0.18, P = 0.015). The strongest associations were observed for fine particles (PM1 and PM2.5). Furthermore, higher national socioeconomic development was positively correlated with increased LRI and LRM. Conclusion These findings suggest that socioeconomic and environmental factors may be associated with regional disparities in lung cancer burden. This evidence could offer insights for targeted prevention policies, including smoking control and air quality management.
Jiawei Zhai, Huijuan Zheng, Lan-Gang Xue· Frontiers in Public Health· 0 citations
Background: Evidence suggests maternal exposure to ambient air pollution increases the risk of stillbirth, but few studies conducted in the United States have evaluated temporally varying exposures or susceptibility across gestational windows. Moreover, the generalizability of existing findings is often limited by restricted geographic coverage or reliance on selected study populations. Methods: Using Georgia vital records from 2005 to 2014, we conducted a matched case–control study including 8,384 stillbirths and 33,459 live birth controls matched on maternal county of residence and conception month. We used stratified Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for 10 air pollutants across five exposure windows (first month, weekly, and first, second, and third trimester). Our primary analysis included all stillbirths combined, with subgroup analyses separating second- and third trimester losses. Results: Stillbirths had a median gestational age of 27 weeks (interquartile range [IQR], 6.67) compared with 38 weeks for live births (IQR, 2.13). Particulate matter showed strong associations in the second trimester exposure window for all stillbirths (PM10: HR = 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04, 1.11; PM2.5: HR = 1.05; 95% CI = 1.01, 1.09). This pattern was consistent for NO2 and NH4, which also exhibited positive associations across early and entire pregnancy exposure windows (first month, first trimester, and weekly), with the strongest associations for the second trimester exposures. Associations were larger for second-trimester stillbirths, whereas estimates for third-trimester stillbirths were largely null or negative. Conclusions: In this population-based study in Georgia, time-varying ambient air pollution exposures during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of stillbirth, particularly for second-trimester exposures and for stillbirths occurring earlier in pregnancy. These findings highlight the importance of considering gestational timing when evaluating environmental risk factors for stillbirth.
Chen Li, Thomas W Hsiao, Joshua L. Warren et al.· Environmental Epidemiology· 0 citations