Everyday Exposures: How Chemicals and Weight Impact Breast Cancer Risk

Excessive Weight, Breast Cancer, and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs): Findings From Active Living After Cancer (ALAC) With Environmental Vitality

To learn about breast cancer survivors' and their family members' knowledge of and interest in learning about environmental exposures related to personal care products. Researchers also want to learn if there is a link between excessive weight and chemicals that may affect hormones.

Primary Objectives:

Excessive body weight and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are interconnected risk factors for breast cancer through disruptions in hormone balance, with African American individuals experiencing disproportionate exposure to EDCs through personal care products marketed to people of color. Under-resourced communities face compounding risks including aggressive late-stage diagnoses and healthcare access barriers that contribute to elevated breast cancer mortality. This proposal engages Acres Homes community members, including Active Living After Cancer (ALAC) participants, to assess knowledge and interest in environmental exposure education focused on personal care products, supporting development of the ALAC with Environmental Vitality (ALAC-ENV) intervention and examining associations between EDCs and excessive weight in breast cancer survivors and family members.

Specific Aim 1: Determine survivors' and family members' environmental exposure knowledge. Participants (n=30) will participate in focus group interviews to assess their interest and understanding of environmental exposures with an emphasis on personal care products.

Specific Aim 2: Determine the relationship between exposures to prevalent EDCs and BMI. A cross-sectional design to examine associations between BMI and measurements of non-persistent EDCs in urine and wristband samples of cancer survivors and family members.

Findings will inform an R-level grant to develop a randomized trial testing the efficacy of an adapted ALAC-ENV curriculum for dissemination and implementation in community settings, as well as foundation grant support for a cross-sectional study examining the association between body mass index, EDC exposure, and cancer in Acres Homes within the context of non-medical drivers of health.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Be a resident of Acres Home community
2. Be 18 years of age and older
3. Self-report a breast cancer diagnosis including subtypes OR be a family member of a survivor
4. If a breast cancer survivor: current or former participants of the ALAC program
5. Able to communicate in English

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Self-report metastatic breast cancer diagnosis
2. Unable to communicate in English
3. Not a breast cancer survivor or family member of a survivor