TY - JOUR

T1 - Road and railway noise and risk for breast cancer

T2 - A nationwide study covering Denmark

AU - Sørensen, Mette

AU - Poulsen, Aslak Harbo

AU - Kroman, Niels

AU - Hvidtfeldt, Ulla Arthur

AU - Thacher, Jesse Daniel

AU - Roswall, Nina

AU - Brandt, Jørgen

AU - Frohn, Lise Marie

AU - Jensen, Steen Solvang

AU - Levin, Gregor

AU - Raaschou-Nielsen, Ole

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2021/4

Y1 - 2021/4

N2 - Objective: Previous studies have suggested that transportation noise may increase risk for breast cancer, but existing literature is scarce and inconclusive. We aimed to investigate associations between road traffic and railway noise and risk for breast cancer across the entire Danish female population. Methods: For all 2.8 million residential addresses across Denmark, we modelled road and railway noise at the most and least exposed façades for the period 1990–2017. We calculated 10-year time-weighted mean noise exposure for 1.8 million women aged >35 years, of whom 66,006 developed breast cancer during follow-up from 2000 to 2017. We analysed data using Cox proportional hazards models with noise exposure included as 10-year running means and adjusted for a number of individual and area-level socioeconomic co-variates and air pollution with fine particles estimated for all addresses. Results: For exposures at the least exposed façade, we found that a 10 dB increase in 10-year time-weighted noise was associated with incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for breast cancer of 1.032 (1.019–1.046) for road noise and 1.023 (0.993–1.053) for railway noise. For exposures at the most exposed façade, the IRRs (95% CIs) were 1.012 (1.002–1.022) for road noise and 1.020 (1.001–1.039) for railway noise. Associations were strongest among women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative breast cancer. Conclusions: Road traffic and railway noise were associated with higher risk for breast cancer, especially noise at the least exposed façade, which is a proxy for noise exposure during sleep.

AB - Objective: Previous studies have suggested that transportation noise may increase risk for breast cancer, but existing literature is scarce and inconclusive. We aimed to investigate associations between road traffic and railway noise and risk for breast cancer across the entire Danish female population. Methods: For all 2.8 million residential addresses across Denmark, we modelled road and railway noise at the most and least exposed façades for the period 1990–2017. We calculated 10-year time-weighted mean noise exposure for 1.8 million women aged >35 years, of whom 66,006 developed breast cancer during follow-up from 2000 to 2017. We analysed data using Cox proportional hazards models with noise exposure included as 10-year running means and adjusted for a number of individual and area-level socioeconomic co-variates and air pollution with fine particles estimated for all addresses. Results: For exposures at the least exposed façade, we found that a 10 dB increase in 10-year time-weighted noise was associated with incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for breast cancer of 1.032 (1.019–1.046) for road noise and 1.023 (0.993–1.053) for railway noise. For exposures at the most exposed façade, the IRRs (95% CIs) were 1.012 (1.002–1.022) for road noise and 1.020 (1.001–1.039) for railway noise. Associations were strongest among women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative breast cancer. Conclusions: Road traffic and railway noise were associated with higher risk for breast cancer, especially noise at the least exposed façade, which is a proxy for noise exposure during sleep.

KW - Breast cancer

KW - Epidemiology

KW - Public health

KW - Transportation noise

U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110739

DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110739

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 33460635

AN - SCOPUS:85099859363

VL - 195

JO - Environmental Research

JF - Environmental Research

SN - 0013-9351

M1 - 110739

ER -