ENVIRONMENTAL causes of breast cancer are to be mapped by a York-based team of scientists and academics using the experiences of sufferers from across the UK.

Laura Potts, a senior lecturer in Social Sciences and Women's Studies at York St John College, has won funding from the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) for the Science in Society Programme, to study women's perceptions of the environmental risks of breast cancer.

Laura will be asking women to map the environment around them and identify factors which they believe may increase the risks of breast cancer.

These could include the use of pesticides, living close to a landfill site or nuclear power station.

She aims to test whether this method is effective in assessing perceptions of risks before potentially expanding the project.

The research will build on work done by the Women's Environmental Network (WEN), and will contribute to WEN's current project, Women taking action for a healthier planet.

Laura will be working with Dr John Forrester and Dr Steve Cinderby from the Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York, who will be using the research method to improve citizen participation in urban regeneration, rural land use planning and developing actions to improve local air quality.

Laura said: "We will be working with groups of about 12 women in six different groups, starting with a group in Barnsley.

"We have already identified interesting clusters of cases in Northallerton so perhaps we will be looking up there next.

"We are trying to find a way of making these women's stories have a basis in fact which could lead to questions being asked.

"The reasons for breast cancer are not known, so isn't it the case that women themselves would be as likely to come up with the answers as the scientists?"

The research will help to spot correlations in the incidence of breast cancer, which will then be compared with data produced by statutory health organisations.

Updated: 11:47 Thursday, September 12, 2002