Air pollution and breast cancer outcomes in Black women
Official title: Characterizing the Role of Air Pollution in Breast Cancer Prognosis and Survivorship
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11427592 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how outdoor air pollution may affect survival, quality of life, and inflammation for Black women living with breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $641,071 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA315618-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11427592 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Black women with a prior diagnosis of breast cancer, residing in New Jersey, who are part of the WCHFS cohort or similar population.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without exposure to high outdoor air pollution or those not in the studied population may not see direct benefit.
What this research studies
Black women diagnosed with breast cancer often have worse outcomes and higher cardiometabolic burden. The study will use a well-characterized cohort of 1,900 Black breast cancer survivors in New Jersey to examine long-term air pollution exposure and its links to survival, patient-reported outcomes, and inflammatory and cardiac biomarkers. Researchers will combine clinical data, lifestyle, area-based factors, and biospecimens to understand how where someone lives influences their cancer survivorship. The goal is to identify health disparities linked to air pollution so future care and policies can better protect these patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to targeted interventions and policies to reduce exposure risks and improve survival and quality of life for Black women with breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: There is growing evidence linking air pollution to health outcomes, but this project focuses on long-term survivorship and specific biomarkers in Black breast cancer survivors, which is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zeinomar, Nur — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Zeinomar, Nur
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.