SKANEATELES - The American Association of University Women's Skaneateles branch strives to educate members and the community as a whole on topics that affect women.
Jill Connor / The Citizen
Dr. Suzanne Snedeker, the associate director of translational research at Cornell, holds up two metal cans that contain low levels of Bisphenol-A, which may be linked to breast cancer, during her talk on the subject of breast cancer at the Skaneateles fire station last month.
Dr. Suzanne Snedeker, the associate director of translational research at Cornell, holds up two metal cans that contain low levels of Bisphenol-A, which may be linked to breast cancer, during her talk on the subject of breast cancer at the Skaneateles fire station last month.
The group combined two topics last month as a speaker presented the connection between breast cancer and environmental causes.
Dr. Suzanne Snedeker's speech at the Skaneateles fire house was part of an effort to look at more personal topics, said Cindy MacBain of the Skaneateles branch of AAUW as she introduced Snedeker.
“We have been trying to do more things like this this year,” MacBain said. “All of our programs this year have been dealing with topics that affect all of us.”
Snedeker is the associate director of translational research for the Cornell Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors.
She used her background in biology and toxicology to explore chemicals that may have an impact on the number of cases of breast cancer.
“Translational research has been going on for about 20 years now,” Snedeker said. “Basically it is making sense of the science. We take the scientific research and make it more accessible to the public with things like educational materials.”
Snedeker next explained that breast cancer and cancer in general is a complex topic to study, but breast cancer is one of the more researched forms of cancer.
The Cornell researcher first shared general risk factors for the disease, such as gender, age, alcohol consumption and hormones. Experts point to estrogen levels as being a strong contributing factor in the risk of breast cancer. Snedeker said the amount of estrogen women are exposed to, called enviroestrogen, can easily be increased from common items, such as garden chemicals or cosmetics.
Snedeker focused her research on this environmental exposure. She has discovered many chemicals and household items, including some plastics, can contribute to the risk of breast cancer. Also, she found exposure to these chemicals can last over long periods of time.
“Cancer takes a long time to develop,” Snedeker said. “It can take anywhere from 10 to 50 years sometimes. This makes it more difficult to study. ... Who remembers what they were exposed to when they were 14, much less what they were exposed to yesterday?”
Research in this field has included long-term efforts like the Agricultural Health Study. Among other subjects, this study has looked at the long-term impact of various chemicals used in farming, residential gardening and lawn care can have on the development of breast cancer.
While scientists found long ago that many chemicals such as the synthetic pesticide DDT contribute to the development of cancer among other health risks, Snedeker said they have only deemed other substances used for pest control or lawn care as risk factors.
Cornell has taken this information, along with data the Environmental Protection Agency collects to make a master list of chemicals found to have varying risk factors.
Many materials are banned or the state regulates them and requires a license applicator. These measures mean most people won't encounter these chemicals directly, but individuals should be aware of what products are used on their lawns and homes.
Other questionable substances are contained in everyday products, such as sunscreen, lipstick, hair care products and plastic water bottles. Because people use countless products, it is difficult to determine if any one substance contributes to breast cancer risk. However, Snedeker supports Dr. Andreas Kortenkamp's research that states these products used in conjunction with one another can contribute to the risk of breast cancer.
She explained that hormones, such as estrogen that these items may include, act like a lock and key, telling cells to reproduce too rapidly.
Dr. Suzanne Snedeker's speech at the Skaneateles fire house was part of an effort to look at more personal topics, said Cindy MacBain of the Skaneateles branch of AAUW as she introduced Snedeker.
“We have been trying to do more things like this this year,” MacBain said. “All of our programs this year have been dealing with topics that affect all of us.”
Snedeker is the associate director of translational research for the Cornell Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors.
She used her background in biology and toxicology to explore chemicals that may have an impact on the number of cases of breast cancer.
“Translational research has been going on for about 20 years now,” Snedeker said. “Basically it is making sense of the science. We take the scientific research and make it more accessible to the public with things like educational materials.”
Snedeker next explained that breast cancer and cancer in general is a complex topic to study, but breast cancer is one of the more researched forms of cancer.
The Cornell researcher first shared general risk factors for the disease, such as gender, age, alcohol consumption and hormones. Experts point to estrogen levels as being a strong contributing factor in the risk of breast cancer. Snedeker said the amount of estrogen women are exposed to, called enviroestrogen, can easily be increased from common items, such as garden chemicals or cosmetics.
Snedeker focused her research on this environmental exposure. She has discovered many chemicals and household items, including some plastics, can contribute to the risk of breast cancer. Also, she found exposure to these chemicals can last over long periods of time.
“Cancer takes a long time to develop,” Snedeker said. “It can take anywhere from 10 to 50 years sometimes. This makes it more difficult to study. ... Who remembers what they were exposed to when they were 14, much less what they were exposed to yesterday?”
Research in this field has included long-term efforts like the Agricultural Health Study. Among other subjects, this study has looked at the long-term impact of various chemicals used in farming, residential gardening and lawn care can have on the development of breast cancer.
While scientists found long ago that many chemicals such as the synthetic pesticide DDT contribute to the development of cancer among other health risks, Snedeker said they have only deemed other substances used for pest control or lawn care as risk factors.
Cornell has taken this information, along with data the Environmental Protection Agency collects to make a master list of chemicals found to have varying risk factors.
Many materials are banned or the state regulates them and requires a license applicator. These measures mean most people won't encounter these chemicals directly, but individuals should be aware of what products are used on their lawns and homes.
Other questionable substances are contained in everyday products, such as sunscreen, lipstick, hair care products and plastic water bottles. Because people use countless products, it is difficult to determine if any one substance contributes to breast cancer risk. However, Snedeker supports Dr. Andreas Kortenkamp's research that states these products used in conjunction with one another can contribute to the risk of breast cancer.
She explained that hormones, such as estrogen that these items may include, act like a lock and key, telling cells to reproduce too rapidly.
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