New research has revealed a worrying link between air pollution and the risk of developing cancer, particularly breast and prostate cancer.
A major review of 27 studies, scheduled for publication in the journal Anticancer Research on Friday, found that long-term exposure to polluted air increases the risk of breast cancer by 45% and prostate cancer by between 20% and 28%.
The research team identified the 27 studies from a database of hundreds of peer-reviewed publications investigating the role of pollution in human diseases, including data from millions of patients followed for decades.
Professor Kefah Mokbel, a leading breast surgeon in the UK who led the analysis, explained that air pollution increases the risk of death from breast cancer by 80% and from any other type of cancer by 22%, making it "a major risk factor, on par with smoking, obesity, and alcohol."
Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) is of particular concern. These tiny particles of pollution (thinner than a human hair) come from exhaust fumes, manufacturing, wood-burning stoves, cooking, smoking, and e-cigarette use. They enter the lungs and then the bloodstream.
Professor Mokbel told Good Health: “PM2.5 won’t cause you to cough, but there is growing evidence that it can cause silent DNA damage when it enters the body and can lead to cancer.”
He added: “It can cause inflammation and oxidative stress, where the balance between disease-associated free radicals and antioxidants (which neutralize free radicals) becomes unbalanced, causing damage to cellular DNA. Both are known risk factors for cancer. PM2.5 also disrupts glands throughout the body that produce hormones, and this is of particular concern for breast and prostate cancer.”
He continued: “Long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution not only increases the risk of breast cancer but also appears to be linked to more aggressive forms of the disease.”
Professor Mokbel recommends taking steps to protect yourself from the harmful effects of air pollution, saying, "Avoid highly polluted areas whenever possible, but don't rely on masks; they offer little protection against this type of pollution. I also recommend a Mediterranean diet rich in antioxidants to counteract the effects of PM2.5. This means eating fish, fruits like pomegranates, strawberries, raspberries, and tomatoes, vegetables like kale and cauliflower, and drinking green tea daily."
He adds, "People should also be aware that e-cigarettes are not a safe alternative to smoking, with growing evidence suggesting they deliver PM2.5 directly to the lungs."