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Why has incidence of breast cancer in most developed countries risen during the last quarter-century? To determine whether exposure to various chemicals in the workplace plays a role, investigators conducted a case-control study using data from Montreal women (age range, 50–75) who received breast cancer diagnoses from 1996 through 1997. Findings in 556 women with breast cancer were compared with those in 613 women who had other forms of cancer. Based on participants' employment histories, chemists and hygienists estimated exposure to about 300 agents.
Overall risk for breast cancer was higher among women with ≥10 years of exposure to acrylic and nylon fibers before age 36 than among unexposed women. For estrogen-receptor–positive, progester…