Women who put together America's cars may be up to 20 percent likelier to get breast cancer than other women, say preliminary results of a study. The exposure of automotive assembly line workers to metalworking fluids over time increased their chances of getting the disease, but environmental epidemiologists at the University of Massachusetts/Lowell, who did the study, are quick to add that this does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. "We cannot say that exposure to metalworking fluids is the cause of disease. We can say there is a statistical association" between environmental exposure and breast cancer, says Deborah Thompson, a doctoral student in the University of Massachusett's Department of Work Environment. She and a team of researchers did the study, which looked at the exposure of almost 5,000 women to metalworking fluids between l940 and 1996. She received no financing from the auto industry; the final study results are being completed this summer. Thanks to HealthScout, (we think after 1999, sorry lost date) Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.