Biomedical subjects

Jane A McElroy

Publications and source records attributed to Jane A McElroy.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Risk of breast cancer for women living in rural areas from adult exposure to atrazine from well water in Wisconsin.

Research has suggested possible human health effects from low-level widespread exposure to environmental contaminants. We employed a novel exposure estimation technique using a publicly available data set to examine atrazine exposure, a suspected endocrine disruptor, in relation to breast cancer risk for women living in rural areas of Wisconsin. Incident breast cancer cases who were 20-79 years of age from 1987 to 2000 (n=3,275) and living in rural areas of Wisconsin at the time of interview were identified from Wisconsin's statewide cancer registry. Female controls of similar age and living in rural areas of Wisconsin were randomly selected from population lists (n=3,669). The addresses at diagnosis or reference year of study participants were assigned latitude/longitude coordinates (geocoded). The results from three statewide random studies of atrazine levels in well water in 1994, 1996, and 2001 were obtained from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Natural neighbor interpolation was used to estimate atrazine exposure levels separately for each of the 3 years. The mean atrazine exposure level was assigned to each participant based on her geocode. After adjustment for established breast cancer risk factors, compared to women in the lowest category of atrazine exposure (<0.15 ppb), the odds ratio of breast cancer for women exposed to atrazine concentrations of 1.0-2.9 ppb was 1.1 (95% CI 0.9-1.4). Results from this large population-based study do not suggest an increased risk of breast cancer from adult exposure to atrazine in drinking water. The possible risk for women exposed to levels of atrazine at or above statutory action levels of >or=3 ppb (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.3-6.5) could not be ruled out due to small numbers in this category.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Cadmium exposure and breast cancer risk.

Cadmium, a highly persistent heavy metal, has been categorized as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Primary exposure sources include food and tobacco smoke. We carried out a population-based case-control study of 246 women, aged 20-69 years, with breast cancer and 254 age-matched control subjects. We measured cadmium levels in urine samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and conducted interviews by telephone to obtain information on known breast cancer risk factors. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for breast cancer by creatinine-adjusted cadmium levels were calculated by multivariable analysis. Statistical tests were two-sided. Women in the highest quartile of creatinine-adjusted cadmium level (> or = 0.58 microg/g) had twice the breast cancer risk of those in the lowest quartile (<0.26 microg/g; OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.3 to 4.2) after adjustment for established risk factors, and there was a statistically significant increase in risk with increasing cadmium level (P(trend) = .01). Based on this study, the absolute risk difference is 45 (95% CI = 0 to 77) per 100,000 given an overall breast cancer rate of 124 per 100,000. Whether increased cadmium is a causal factor for breast cancer or reflects the effects of treatment or disease remains to be determined.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Duration of sleep and breast cancer risk in a large population-based case-control study.

One important function of sleep may be its contribution to the maintenance of the immune system and regulation of the circadian rhythms by melatonin. Researchers have speculated that disruption of immune functions involving cortisol levels and natural killer cell activity may increase breast cancer risk whereas increased melatonin exposure may protect against breast cancer. We conducted a multistate population-based case-control study of 4,033 women with invasive breast cancer and 5,314 community women without breast cancer in which we inquired about women's sleep habits in the recent past and during adult lifetime. Relative to women who slept 7.0-7.9 h/night, the multivariate odds ratio for developing breast cancer among women who slept an average of 9 h or more per night approximately 2 years prior to interview was 1.13 (95% CI 0.93-1.37). The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio for the continuous term was 1.06 (95% CI 1.01-1.11), suggesting a 6% increase in risk for every additional hour of sleep. Similar patterns were observed for average lifetime adult sleep duration. We found little evidence that sleeping few hours per night was associated with breast cancer risk. The results of this study suggest that increasing sleep duration is modestly associated with an increased breast cancer risk. In contrast, short duration of sleep (<7 h/night) is not substantially associated with increased risk. Further research in this area is warranted.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The National Children's Study and the children of Wisconsin.

Prospective, multi-year epidemiologic studies such as the Framingham Heart Study and the Nurses' Health Study have proven highly effective in identifying risk factors for chronic illness and in guiding disease prevention. Now, in order to identify environmental risk factors for chronic disease in children, the US Congress authorized a National Children's Study as part of the Children's Health Act of 2000. Enrollment of a nationally representative cohort of 100,000 children will begin in 2008, with follow-up to continue through age 21. Environmental assessment and examination of biomarkers collected at specified intervals during pregnancy and childhood will be a major component of the Study. Recruitment at 105 sites across the United States is planned, and will begin at 7 Vanguard Centers in 2008, including Waukesha County, Wis. The National Children's Study will provide information on preventable risk factors for such chronic diseases as asthma, certain birth defects, neurobehavioral syndromes, and obesity. In addition, the National Children's Study will provide training in pediatric environmental health for the next generation of researchers and practitioners.

Child↗

PubMed2006

The National Children's Study Waukesha County, Wisconsin Vanguard Center.

The National Children's Study (NCS) is a large, longterm study designed to detect environmental influences on the health and development of children. Waukesha County, Wisconsin, was selected as 1 of 7 "Vanguard Centers" currently funded to finalize and lead the implementation of the study protocol. The authors provide an overview of key design and planning processes that will be used at all NCS Vanguard locations, the specific approaches to be used in the NCS Waukesha County Vanguard Center, and information about how Wisconsin physicians and other health care professionals can become involved in working with the NCS.

Child↗

PubMed2006

National Children's Study: environmental exposures in Waukesha County.

The National Children's Study (NCS), launched in September of 2005, will investigate the effects of environmental exposures and children's health and development. Waukesha County, Wis was selected as 1 of 7 sites to spearhead this ambitious undertaking. Residents of Waukesha County may experience different kinds of environmental exposures from water, land, and air based on where they live, work, and play. A selected number of Waukesha County's environmental exposures described briefly in this report will serve the NCS well with their heterogeneity of potential exposures: from private well water and community water supplies that obtain water from both surface and groundwater; from the variable exposures to ambient air pollution from mobile sources, local industrial sources, and distant sources (ozone); and the different levels of exposures from soil and dust depending on the prevalence of pesticide use and lead-based paints. By combining data gathered from Waukesha County's participants with other study sites, a holistic picture of environmental exposures in the United States can be evaluated as it influences the health of our nation's children.

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PubMed2006

Updating progress in cancer control in Wisconsin.

BACKGROUND: In 1989, experts in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment met in Madison to set the public health agenda for cancer control. Part of the plan defined target percent change in cancer mortality rates to be met by the year 2000. During the 1990s, public health and health care professionals developed programs and policies to reach these goals. The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate Wisconsin's progress in reducing cancer mortality and success in meeting the year 2000 objectives. METHODS: Wisconsin mortality data for 1984-1986 and 1999-2001 were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Wonder. Percent change was calculated between the 2 time periods and compared to the 2000 target percent change for all-site cancer and site specific cancer mortality. RESULTS: All-site cancer mortality decreased by 7% from 1984-1986 to 1999-2001 with a greater than 16% decline in age groups <65 years. Mortality from breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer each decreased by at least 25%. Lung cancer and malignant melanoma mortality rates increased by 5% and 17%, respectively. Among additionally analyzed cancers, mortality decreased in prostate, stomach, and childhood cancers and increased in liver cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. CONCLUSION: The results of the state's cancer control effort are mixed. The year 2000 objectives were met for breast and colorectal cancer. Progress was made in reducing mortality from cervical cancer and from all sites combined, but the other year 2000 objectives were not met. Mortality rates increased for lung cancer and malignant melanoma during the 15-year period.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Identifying geographic disparities in the early detection of breast cancer using a geographic information system.

INTRODUCTION: Identifying communities with lower rates of mammography screening is a critical step to providing targeted screening programs; however, population-based data necessary for identifying these geographic areas are limited. This study presents methods to identify geographic disparities in the early detection of breast cancer. METHODS: Data for all women residing in Dane County, Wisconsin, at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis from 1981 through 2000 (N = 4769) were obtained from the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System (Wisconsin's tumor registry) by ZIP code of residence. Hierarchical logistic regression models for disease mapping were used to identify geographic differences in the early detection of breast cancer. RESULTS: The percentage of breast cancer cases diagnosed in situ (excluding lobular carcinoma in situ) increased from 1.3% in 1981 to 11.9% in 2000. This increase, reflecting increasing mammography use, occurred sooner in Dane County than in Wisconsin as a whole. From 1981 through 1985, the proportion of breast cancer diagnosed in situ in Dane county was universally low (2%-3%). From 1986 through 1990, urban and suburban ZIP codes had significantly higher rates (10%) compared with rural ZIP codes (5%). From 1991 through 1995, mammography screening had increased in rural ZIP codes (7% of breast cancer diagnosed in situ). From 1996 through 2000, mammography use was fairly homogeneous across the entire county (13%-14% of breast cancer diagnosed in situ). CONCLUSION: The percentage of breast cancer cases diagnosed in situ increased in the state and in all areas of Dane County from 1981 through 2000. Visual display of the geographic differences in the early detection of breast cancer demonstrates the diffusion of mammography use across the county over the 20-year period.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Socioeconomic risk factors for breast cancer: distinguishing individual- and community-level effects.

BACKGROUND: Women are at higher risk of breast cancer if they have higher socioeconomic status (SES) or live in higher SES or urban communities. We examined whether women living in such communities remained at greater risk of breast cancer after controlling for individual education and other known individual-level risk factors. METHODS: Data were from a population-based, breast cancer case-control study conducted in Wisconsin from 1988 to 1995 (n = 14,667). Data on community SES and urbanicity come from the 1990 census, measured at the census tract and zip code levels. We evaluated relationships between individual- and community-level variables and breast cancer risk using multilevel logistic regression models with random community intercepts. RESULTS: After controlling for individual education and other individual-level risk factors (age, mammography use, family history of breast cancer, parity, age at first birth, alcohol intake, body mass index, hormone replacement use, oral contraceptive use, and menopausal status), women living in the highest SES communities had greater odds of having breast cancer than women living in the lowest SES communities (1.20; 95% confidence interval = 1.05-1.37). Similarly, the odds were greater for women in urban versus rural communities (1.17; 1.06-1.28). CONCLUSIONS: Community SES and urbanicity are apparently not simply proxies for individual SES. Future research should examine why living in such communities itself is associated with greater risk of breast cancer.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Potential exposure to PCBs, DDT, and PBDEs from sport-caught fish consumption in relation to breast cancer risk in Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, consumption of Great Lakes fish is an important source of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and other halogenated hydrocarbons, all of which may act as potential risk factors for breast cancer. We examined the association between sport-caught fish consumption and breast cancer incidence as part of an ongoing population-based case-control study. We identified breast cancer cases 20-69 years of age who were diagnosed in 1998-2000 (n = 1,481) from the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting System. Female controls of similar age were randomly selected from population lists (n = 1,301). Information about all sport-caught (Great Lakes and other lakes) fish consumption and breast cancer risk factors was obtained through telephone interviews. After adjustment for known and suspected risk factors, the relative risk of breast cancer for women who had recently consumed sport-caught fish was similar to women who had never eaten sport-caught fish [relative risk (RR) = 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-1.17]. Frequency of consumption and location of sport-caught fish were not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Recent consumption of Great Lakes fish was not associated with postmenopausal breast cancer (RR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.57-1.07), whereas risk associated with premenopausal breast cancer was elevated (RR = 1.70; 95% CI, 1.16-2.50). In this study we found no overall association between recent consumption of sport-caught fish and breast cancer, although there may be an increased breast cancer risk for subgroups of women who are young and/or premenopausal.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Geocoding addresses from a large population-based study: lessons learned.

BACKGROUND: Geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial statistics are useful for exploring the relation between geographic location and health. The ultimate usefulness of GIS depends on both completeness and accuracy of geocoding (the process of assigning study participants' residences latitude/longitude coordinates that closely approximate their true locations, also known as address matching). The goal of this project was to develop an iterative geocoding process that would achieve a high match rate in a large population-based health study. METHODS: Data were from a study conducted in Wisconsin using mailing addresses of participants who were interviewed by telephone from 1988 to 1995. We standardized the addresses according to US Postal Service guidelines, used desktop GIS geocoding software and two versions of the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing street maps, accessed Internet mapping engines for problematic addresses, and recontacted a small number of study participants' households. We also tabulated the project's cost, time commitment, software requirements, and brief notes for each step and their alternatives. RESULTS: Of the 14,804 participants, 97% were ultimately assigned latitude/longitude coordinates corresponding to their respective residences. The remaining 3% were geocoded to their zip code centroid. CONCLUSION: The multiple methods described in this work provide practical information for investigators who are considering the use of GIS in their population health research.

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PubMed2002

Endometrial cancer incidence in relation to electric blanket use.

Endometrial cancer is associated with endogenous and exogenous estrogen excess. Some investigators have posited that electromagnetic fields may influence cancer risk through estrogenic hormonal mechanisms; however, there have been no studies reporting on electric blanket exposure in relation to endometrial cancer. The authors examined this possible association between endometrial cancer risk and electric blanket or mattress cover use as part of a population-based, case-control study. This analysis included incident endometrial cancer cases 40-79 years of age, interviewed during 1994 (n = 148; response rate, 87%) and identified from the Wisconsin tumor registry. Female controls of similar age were randomly selected from population lists (n = 659; response rate, 85%). Information regarding electric blanket and mattress cover use and endometrial cancer risk factors was obtained through structured telephone interviews approximately 1 year after diagnosis. After adjustment for age, body mass index, and postmenopausal hormone use, the risk of endometrial cancer was similar among ever users (odds ratio = 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 0.70, 1.55) and among current users (odds ratio = 0.87, 95% confidence interval: 0.49, 1.54) as compared with never users. Despite its small size and potential misclassification of exposure, this study provides evidence against an association between electric blanket or mattress cover use and endometrial cancer.

Adult↗