Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Risk of Lung, Breast, and Urinary Tract Cancer in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In an area of low ambient air pollution, no increased cancer risk associated with traffic-related air pollution was detectable, and further studies are required to quantify the cancer risk at low levels of air pollution. However, community deprivation was significantly associated with both lung and breast cancer risk. Objectives: We assessed the association of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) with the incidence of lung, breast, and urinary tract cancer in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Methods: Our case-control study included 2315 cancers and 8501 age-sex–matched controls. Land-use regression was used to estimate TRAP concentrations. Logistic regression was used to assess cancer risk in relation to TRAP, adjusting for community social and material deprivation. Results: There was no association between the risk of lung, breast, or urinary tract cancer in relation to TRAP. Lung cancer risk was significantly increased in the most deprived communities, whereas breast cancer risk was highest in the least deprived communities. Conclusions: In a city characterized by low levels of ambient air pollution, there was no evidence of a linear increased lung, breast, or urinary tract cancer risk in relation to TRAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]