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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
D. B. Gerstle, MS, MA1, A. M. Levine, Ph D2, Robert Christopher Silich, MD3, W. G. Wallace, Ph D1, Michelle J. Gerstle, MPH, CHES4, Ann Lubrano, PhD1, and Andrea Makrinos, BA5. (1) Center for Environmental Science, College of Staten Island/CUNY, 2800 Victory Blvd., Room 310 Bldg 6S, Staten Island, NY 10314, 718-982-3922, gerstle@postbox.csi.cuny.edu, (2) Center for Environmental Science, College of Staten Island/CUNY/Center for Environmental Science, 2800 Victory Blvd., Room 310 Bldg 6S, Staten Island, NY 10314, (3) Surgery/Division of Plastic Surgery, Cornell University Medical School/NY Hospital, 525 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10021, (4) Department of Marketing, Community Relations & Health Education, Lenox Hill Hospital, 100 East 77th Street, New York, NY 10021, (5) Center for Environmental Science, College of Staten Island, 1600 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314
Staten Island, NY (SI) is downwind from the largest petrochemical industry in the world, residence of Brookfield landfill (EPA Superfund site) and home to Fresh Kills landfill, the world’s largest dump.Using the Cancer Registry of the New York State Health Department it has been determined that Staten Island, NY has the highest age-adjusted breast cancer rates among women in the metropolitan region. In an effort to determine why these rates are high, we are continuing to investigate the association between breast cancer, length of residence on Staten Island and occupation. Researchers at the Center For Environmental Science developed and validated a methodology for obtaining data from the combination of newspaper obituaries and death certificates. Death Certificate data for the years 1980 through 1990 for female breast cancer (ICD 174) were obtained from NYCDOH (New York City Department of Health) as well as a set of controls. Controls were randomly matched by age (+ 1 year) and year of death (+ 3 years). Life histories were complied through obituaries for both cases and controls (n=742 cases). The data set includes demographic information, residential history and occupational history. Preliminary analysis using logistic regression demonstrated statistically significant increased risk of breast cancer death associated with length of residence and occupation on Staten Island. Future work will examine other risk factors in the promotion and development of breast cancer.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.