| Description |
Particulate Matter (PM) is a component of both indoor and ambient (outdoor) air pollution. Exposure to air pollution is becoming increasingly more common, because of anthropogenic activities, including burning fossil fuels, increased urbanization and industrialization, and climate change. Compared to other air pollutants, PM causes some of the most severe and detrimental impacts on human health. Health impacts from PM exposure include cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer, and mortality. Growing concerns of health implications from PM exposure are driving numerous research studies worldwide. Although there is increasingly more literature and research on health impacts from particulate matter exposure, the focus tends to examine the general and healthy populations. These studies have found that the development of both cancer and cardiovascular disease are two common health risks associated with exposure to particulate matter. However, less is known about how PM affects the health of cancer patients after their cancer diagnosis. This paper summarizes the research to date on air pollution and particulate matter and the health impacts from exposure. In particular, this paper reviews several research studies to provide an understanding of the relationship between exposure to particulate matter and cardiovascular and respiratory health implications among individuals with cancer. |
