title: Evaluating chemical effects on mammary gland development: A critical need in disease prevention.
abstract: Although understanding the environmental factors that contribute to breast cancer could improve disease prevention, standard chemical testing protocols do not adequately evaluate chemicals' effects on breast development. Evidence suggests: (1) mammary gland (MG) development is a complex process that extends from gestation through fetal and neonatal growth, puberty, and pregnancy; (2) altered MG development can increase the risk of breast cancer and other adverse outcomes; and (3) chemical exposures during susceptible windows of development may alter the MG in ways that increase risk for later disease. Together, these highlight the need to better understand the complex relationship between exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and the alterations in MG morphology and gene expression that ultimately increase disease risk. Changing guideline toxicity testing studies to incorporate perinatal exposures and MG whole mounts would generate critical knowledge about the effects of EDCs on the MG and could ultimately inform disease prevention.
authors.affiliation: Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Gwendolyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Osborne
authors.affiliation: Silent Spring Institute, Newton, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ruthann
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rudel
authors.affiliation: Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. Electronic address: mschwarzman@berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwarzman
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015197:Carcinogenicity Tests; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000633:toxicity*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012107:Research Design; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D046468:Sexual Development; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors
keywords: Breast cancer; Development; Endocrine disrupting compounds; Mammary gland; Toxicity testing