Something in the water? Researchers studying high amounts of late-stage breast cancer in Florida county

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Broward County, Florida’s rate of advanced breast cancer exceeds the state and national average, and researchers want to learn why.

Could a chemical in the water or one sprayed on lawns play a role? Does someone’s ancestry make them more vulnerable to the chemicals?

Dr. Jean Latimer and her team at Nova Southeastern University will study the role environment plays in advanced breast cancer, particularly among women of African American descent.

“Nationally the levels of advanced breast cancer have dropped because of early detection,” said Latimer, director of the NSU AutoNation Institute for Breast Cancer Research and Care. “That’s not happening as often as should in Broward County. People get hung up about genetic risks. The truth is with breast cancer most of it is unexplained.”

Breast cancer in its varying stages is the most common cancer diagnosed among U.S. women. It is the second most deadly for women after lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Broward County’s rate of advanced breast cancer in women was 32.6% of cases in 2019, compared to 31.1% of cases for Florida, according to the Florida Department of Health. Nationally, the American Cancer Society reports that number is between 20% to 30% of cases.

Black women have the highest death rate from breast cancer, and are more likely to have the aggressive triple-negative breast cancer than any other racial or ethnic group, according to the American Cancer Society.

Although doctors will ask about family history, Latimer said most women don’t realize 80% of breast cancer is not genetic. “We are trying to learn what exacerbates your risk.”

Most research into advanced breast cancer and clinical trials focus on treatment. However, researchers around the world now are looking for ways to help reduce breast cancer risk through prevention.

“Possible environmental causes of breast cancer have received more attention in recent years,” according to the American Cancer Society. “While much of the science on this topic is still in its earliest stages, this is an area of active research.”

Latimer wants to focus on prevention and has received a $100,000 research grant from the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation to learn what information Broward residents might need to reduce their risk.

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