Neighborhood disadvantage and individual-level life stressors in relation to breast cancer incidence in US Black women.

Neighborhood disadvantage and lower neighborhood SES were associated with an approximately 25% increased risk of ER- breast cancer in this large cohort of Black women, even after control for multiple behaviors and lifestyle factors. Further research is need to understand the underlying reasons for these associations. Possible contributing factors are biologic responses to the chronic stress/distress experienced by individuals who reside in neighborhoods characterized by high levels of noise, crime and unemployment or the direct effects of environmental toxins.