Abstract:This pilot study examined the relationships of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with prostate cancer. Ninety-nine controls were frequency matched by age in 5-year increments to 58 prostate cancer patients. Thirty PCBs and 18 OCPs were measured in serum by gas chromatography. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the magnitude of association. Seven organochlorines, dieldrin, p,pЈ-DDE, trans-nonachlor, oxychlordane, heptachlor epoxide, and PCBs 153 and 180 were dete… Show more
“…A more extensive epidemiologic study of capacitor manufacturing plant workers highly exposed to PCBs revealed a strong exposure-response relationship for prostate cancer mortality (Prince et al 2006). This supports previous findings of correlations between PCB 153 and 180 and prostate cancer risk in electric utility workers (Charles et al 2003, Ritchie et al 2003. While estrogenic activity of these compounds is a suspected mode of action, there is also evidence that PCBs inhibit estrogen sulfotransferase activity in the liver and effectively increase bioavailable estrogen in the body (Kester et al 2000).…”
There is increasing evidence both from epidemiology studies and animal models that specific endocrine-disrupting compounds may influence the development or progression of prostate cancer. In large part, these effects appear to be linked to interference with estrogen signaling, either through interacting with ERs or by influencing steroid metabolism and altering estrogen levels within the body. In humans, epidemiologic evidence links specific pesticides, PCBs and inorganic arsenic exposures to elevated prostate cancer risk. Studies in animal models also show augmentation of prostate carcinogenesis with several other environmental estrogenic compounds including cadmium, UV filters and BPA. Importantly, there appears to be heightened sensitivity of the prostate to these endocrine disruptors during the critical developmental windows including in utero and neonatal time points as well as during puberty. Thus infants and children may be considered a highly susceptible population for ED exposures and increased risk of prostate cancers with aging.
“…A more extensive epidemiologic study of capacitor manufacturing plant workers highly exposed to PCBs revealed a strong exposure-response relationship for prostate cancer mortality (Prince et al 2006). This supports previous findings of correlations between PCB 153 and 180 and prostate cancer risk in electric utility workers (Charles et al 2003, Ritchie et al 2003. While estrogenic activity of these compounds is a suspected mode of action, there is also evidence that PCBs inhibit estrogen sulfotransferase activity in the liver and effectively increase bioavailable estrogen in the body (Kester et al 2000).…”
There is increasing evidence both from epidemiology studies and animal models that specific endocrine-disrupting compounds may influence the development or progression of prostate cancer. In large part, these effects appear to be linked to interference with estrogen signaling, either through interacting with ERs or by influencing steroid metabolism and altering estrogen levels within the body. In humans, epidemiologic evidence links specific pesticides, PCBs and inorganic arsenic exposures to elevated prostate cancer risk. Studies in animal models also show augmentation of prostate carcinogenesis with several other environmental estrogenic compounds including cadmium, UV filters and BPA. Importantly, there appears to be heightened sensitivity of the prostate to these endocrine disruptors during the critical developmental windows including in utero and neonatal time points as well as during puberty. Thus infants and children may be considered a highly susceptible population for ED exposures and increased risk of prostate cancers with aging.
“…Nonoccupational exposure to OC insecticides was investigated in 4 case-control studies by measuring the concentrations of selected OC insecticides in serum, 41 adipose tissue, 39 or plasma. 40 In summary, a number of specific pesticides have been linked to prostate cancer risk in occupational settings in an increasing number of studies.…”
A growing number of well-designed epidemiological and molecular studies provide substantial evidence that the pesticides used in agricultural, commercial, and home and garden applications are associated with excess cancer risk. This risk is associated both with those applying the pesticide and, under some conditions, those who are simply bystanders to the application. In this article, the epidemiological, molecular biology, and toxicological evidence emerging from recent literature assessing the link between specific pesticides and several cancers including prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, and breast cancer are integrated. Although the review is not exhaustive in its scope or depth, the literature does strongly suggest that the public health problem is real. If we are to avoid the introduction of harmful chemicals into the environment in the future, the integrated efforts of molecular biology, pesticide toxicology, and epidemiology are needed to help identify the human carcinogens and thereby improve our understanding of human carcinogenicity and reduce cancer risk. CA Cancer J Clin 2013;63:120-142.
“…Moreover, the increased prostate cancer risk associated with many of the afore-mentioned pesticides has been observed mostly in subjects with a family history of prostate cancer (41), a finding which suggests that exposure to pesticides in genetically susceptible subjects increases the risk of prostate cancer. Although our data suggest that several pesticide types, including DDT and HCH, may have been implicated in the genesis of prostate cancer in Martinique and Guadeloupe, we cannot exclude that other CMR substances, including other types of pesticides, polychlorobiphenyls (40,44) and polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons (45) may also have been involved.…”
“…Subjects then showed similar considerably high levels (up to several mg/kg), as in other studies (39). Other authors have reported that exposure to organochlorinated pesticides is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (40,41) and that among the different pesticides used intensively in Martinique and Guadeloupe, DDT and DDE (42,41), lindane (43), aldrin and dieldrin (41), chlordane (41), heptachlor (41,43), oxychlordane (40,44) and simazine (43) have been found to be associated with a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer and/or have been detected at significantly higher levels in prostate cancer patients than in non-cancer patients. Moreover, the increased prostate cancer risk associated with many of the afore-mentioned pesticides has been observed mostly in subjects with a family history of prostate cancer (41), a finding which suggests that exposure to pesticides in genetically susceptible subjects increases the risk of prostate cancer.…”
Abstract. Using a transdisciplinary methodological approach we have conducted a multifactorial analysis in Martinique and Guadeloupe in order to elucidate the aetiology of prostate cancer. In 2002, world age standardized rates of prostate cancer were 152 new cases per 100,000 person-years in the two islands; one of the highest worldwide rates and much higher than those reported for other Caribbean islands and metropolitan France. Using a linear regression analysis, we found that the growth curves of incidence rates for Martinique and metropolitan France have been significantly diverging since 1983. That these curves are not parallel suggests that although a Caribbean genetic susceptibility factor may be involved in carcinogenesis, this factor cannot per se account for the observed growing incidence. On the basis of mapping analysis of soil pollution, we further showed that water contamination by pesticides originates from banana plantations. Moreover, we have established retrospectively that general population subjects investigated in 1972 in Martinique for the presence of organochlorinated pesticides in their adipose tissue had been contaminated by extremely high levels of DDT, DDE, ·, ß and ÁHCH, aldrin and dieldrin. Our study leads to the conclusion that the growing incidence of prostate cancer cannot be related either to a modification of ethnographic factors nor to a change in lifestyle and therefore suggests that environmental factors such as the intensive and prolonged exposure to carcinogenic, mutagenic and reproductive toxin pesticides may cause prostate cancer.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.