Staten Island Breast Cancer Research Initiative: Small area demography, neighborhoods, length of residence on Staten Island, puberty, occupation, parity, socioeconomic factors and mortality risk with respect to environmental justice

Staten Island, NY (SI) is downwind from the largest petrochemical industry in the world, Brookfield (EPA Superfund site) and, for more than 50 years, harbored the largest open dump, Fresh Kills Landfill (FKL). Using breast cancer incidence and mortality data from New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) respectively, it has been determined that SI has among the highest female breast cancer age-adjusted incidence and the highest age-adjusted mortality rate in the metropolitan region. Researchers at the Center for Environmental Science developed and validated a methodology for obtaining data from a combination of newspaper obituaries and death certificates. Death certificate data for breast cancer deaths were obtained for 1980-1990 from NYCDOHMH as well as, a set of female controls. Life histories were compiled through obituary interviews for both cases and controls. Preliminary analysis using logistic regression demonstrated: [1] a statistically significant increase in the risk for breast cancer associated when residing on SI during puberty ( p<0.001) and length of residence on SI ( p< 0.001), [2] an increased risk for occupation (p<0.006), [3] no increased risk with socioecomic factors (poverty, p<0.786; education, p< 0.5467), and [4] no decreased risk with increased number of live births (parity, p< 0.46). Staten Island neighborhoods (divided by NYC community boards [CB]) were mapped and analyzed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). CB2 (location of Brookfield and FKL) demonstrates is significantly higher breast cancer death rates than CB1 and CB3 (p<0.01).