OCTOBER is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I have been engaging in conversations with several breast cancer survivors about their views on the possible causes of breast cancer and its relationship with the environment. This is part two of a feature exploring the emerging field of epigenetics, which is particularly relevant to Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, where breast cancer is a leading cancer among women, and where populations may experience environmental exposures associated with contaminated water, air pollution, industrial activities, waste disposal and heavy metals.

Environmental exposures and the Jamaican context

Epigenetics provides a framework for investigating how geographical location and environmental exposures might influence breast cancer susceptibility within the Jamaican context.

Although exposure to chemicals and pollutants does not automatically result in breast cancer, research has demonstrated that certain environmental toxicants can influence epigenetic mechanisms and cellular processes associated with cancer development.

This raises important concerns for Jamaica, particularly in communities with documented environmental contamination or substantial pollution exposure that warrant further epidemiological and epigenetic investigation. These locations should be regarded as priority areas for environmental health research prior to being classified as communities with elevated breast cancer incidence.

Other locations associated with waste disposal, contaminated water, mining, industrial activities, traffic-related air pollution and agricultural pesticide use also require appropriate environmental exposure assessments to determine whether any association exists with breast cancer.

The timing of exposure is equally important and should not be overlooked. The developing breast may be particularly susceptible to environmental influences during critical periods, including prenatal development, puberty, early adulthood and pregnancy when mammary tissue undergoes substantial growth and cellular differentiation. Environmental exposures during these periods deserve investigation within the Jamaican context because they may produce long-lasting changes in gene regulation that could influence breast cancer risk later in life.

One can conclude that epigenetics provides an important link between genes, the environment and breast cancer. It offers a scientific explanation of how environmental and lifestyle exposures may influence gene activity without altering the underlying DNA sequence.

Further research into epigenetics is therefore essential and could broaden approaches to breast cancer prevention and management to include environmental monitoring and exposure assessment. By geographically mapping breast cancer cases alongside environmental factors such as pollution, pesticides and heavy metals, while controlling for individual risk factors, researchers may be better positioned to investigate potential associations.

Although several Jamaican communities are known to experience environmental pollution, current evidence does not establish that these communities have higher breast cancer rates as a result of epigenetic changes. Nevertheless, the available scientific evidence provides a rationale for investigating communities with documented pollution and chemical exposures.

Integrating cancer surveillance, environmental monitoring and epigenetic research could contribute significantly to a more comprehensive breast cancer prevention strategy for Jamaica. This approach would strengthen our understanding of the interplay between genetics, lifestyle and the environment while supporting evidence-based public health interventions aimed at reducing the burden of breast cancer.

Professor Adella Campbell is a lecturer in the College of Health Sciences, University of Technology, Jamaica.