Increased concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls, hexachlorobenzene, and chlordanes in mothers of men with testicular cancer.

Abstract

An increasing incidence of testicular cancer has been reported from several countries in the Western world during the last decades. According to current hypothesis, testicular cancer is initiated during the fetal period, and exposure to endocrine disruptors, i.e., xenoestrogens, has been of concern. In this investigation we studied the concentrations of the sum of 38 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p,p´-dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and chlordanes, in 61 cases with testicular cancer and 58 age-matched controls. Furthermore, case and control mothers were also asked to participate, and 44 case mothers and 45 control mothers agreed. They were of similar age. In cases only the concentration on lipid basis of cis-nonachlordane was significantly increased, whereas case mothers showed significantly increased concentrations of the sum of PCBs, HCB, trans-and cis-nonachlordane, and the sum of chlordanes. Among case mothers the sum of PCBs yielded an odds ratio (OR) of 3.8; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4-10 was calculated using the median concentration for the control mothers as cutoff value. For HCB, OR = 4.4 (95% CI, 1.7-12); for trans-nonachlordane, OR = 4.1 (95% CI, 1.5-11); for cis-nonachlordane, OR = 3.1 (95% CI, 1.2-7.8); and for sum of chlordanes, OR = 1.9 (95% CI, 0.7-5.0). No consistent different risk pattern was found for seminoma or nonseminoma testicular cancer.

China's water pollution by persistent organic pollutants

“…The proportion of drinking water supplies deemed safe is expected to decrease if organic chemicals are included in the water quality assessment criteria. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) targeted by the Stockholm Convention (United Nations Environment Programme, 2004) are suspected of causing cancer and teratismus hermpahroditicus or known to damage nervous system and endanger growth of normal infant and child (Hardell et al, 2003(Hardell et al, , 2006United National Environment Programme, 2009). As a result, an objective assessment of the current state of water pollution by POPs in China is needed to provide baseline information for further regulatory efforts to include organic pollutants in the assessment of drinking water safety.…”

Pharmacokinetic Variability and Modern Epidemiology—The Example of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, Body Mass Index, and Birth Cohort

“…In fact, >90 original investigations have been published on HHC as a factor in etiology and prognosis of cancer since 1976. Breast cancer has been most widely investigated, but research has also implicated HHCs in non -Hodkin's lymphoma (1) and testicular cancer (2), among others. HHC have also been studied in relation to noncancer effects, including fertility, fecundity, pregnancy outcomes, child growth, sexual maturation, neurologic development, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and degenerative neurologic diseases (3)(4)(5)(6).…”

SIOP 2013 Scientific Programme + Index

“…Environmental factors that have been suggested to be involved in aetiology include occupational exposures to oestrogenic chemicals and maternal exposures to chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls, hexachlorobenzene and chlordanes [28][29][30][31]. Some studies have suggested a link with infections, including HIV, CMV, EBV and SV-40 [32][33][34][35][36].…”