Jasmine A. McDonald

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cancer among women, with rising incidence in sub-Saharan Africa. Personal care products (PCPs), including hair products, contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals and carcinogens implicated in BC risk, yet evidence is largely from Western populations. We examined perceived BC risk and its association with hair product use among women in Embu and Nakuru Counties, Kenya. A cross-sectional survey of 744 women aged 15–50 years conducted in May–July 2023 assessed perceived BC risk related to hair product use. Latent class analysis (LCA) identified risk profiles, and multivariable logistic regression examined associations between risk class and PCP use in the prior 7–14 days. LCA identified three risk classes: no/low (11.0%), high (42.7%), and very high (46.2%). Classes differed in concern, behavioral intentions, and information-seeking about hair product ingredients, with the very high-risk class reporting the greatest concern and intention to change practices. However, perceived risk was not associated with lower hair product use after correction for multiple comparisons. Perceived BC risk was associated with greater concern and intention to change hair product practices, but not lower product use. Culturally responsive interventions are needed to translate risk awareness into behavior change and safer PCP use.

BackgroundPhthalates are ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemicals with near-universal exposure during pregnancy. Phthalate molecular weight class may differentially influence endocrine-sensitive developmental processes, including mammary development. Yet no studies have examined prenatal phthalate exposure in relation to adolescent breast tissue composition (BTC).ObjectiveWe examined associations between prenatal, third-trimester urinary concentrations of nine phthalate metabolites (three low–molecular-weight [LMW] and six high–molecular-weight [HMW]) and adolescent BTC among 127 girls from a New York City birth cohort.MethodsWe used optical spectroscopy to quantify BTC (water, lipid, collagen, total hemoglobin) and a composite optical index (OI), with all outcomes standardized to a mean of 0 and standard deviation of 1. We fit multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age at measurement, percent body fat, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and socioeconomic status, and applied false discovery rate (FDR) correction across metabolite–outcome tests. We also used Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to explore joint mixture effects.ResultsPrenatal mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) concentrations were associated with higher percent water content (β = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.33), lower percent lipid content (β = −0.17, 95% CI: −0.33, −0.01), and higher optical index (OI) (β = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.35) in adjusted models. However, none of these associations remained statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons using the FDR. Other HMW metabolites showed smaller, imprecise estimates, while LMW metabolites were not consistently associated with BTC measures. BKMR findings were directionally concordant but did not indicate a strong overall mixture effect.SignificanceIf replicated, these findings suggest that higher prenatal concentrations of the HMW phthalate metabolite MEHP may influence breast tissue development during a sensitive window of susceptibility, and are consistent with greater fibroglandular tissue composition, a phenotype linked to higher mammographic density.

Comparison of Spatial Survival Prediction with and without PD-L1

Comparison of Survival Prediction of Base and Base + Topology Spatial Biomarkers applying ALL versus Tumor-Only Parameters

Comparison of Survival Prediction of Topology-based Spatial Biomarkers with traditional protein biomarkers and clinical features

Topology-based Biomarkers are more sensitive and race invariant predictors of breast cancer survival than estrogen receptor expression

Comparison of predictive values (C-index, survival) of different spatial features and input data

Respresentative samples demonstrating range of PD-L1 intensities

Published clinical trials data