Pesticides and breast cancer risk: a review of DDT, DDE, and dieldrin.

Abstract

Established risk factors for breast cancer explain breast cancer risk only partially. Hence, there has been interest in evaluating what role environmental chemicals, especially those with evidence of being hormonally active agents, play in breast cancer risk. Organochlorine pesticides have received the most attention because of their persistence in the environment, ability to concentrate up the food chain, continued detection in the food supply and breast milk, and ability to be stored in the adipose tissue of animals and humans. Although several early descriptive studies and a cohort study identified a strong positive association with breast cancer risk and adipose or blood levels of the organochlorine pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and/or its metabolite dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), most of the more recent case--control and nested case--control studies have not supported this association. In this review I discuss these findings and explore how exposure to different forms of DDT with varying estrogenicities may have affected the results of these studies. I also address how other factors influence the interpretation of the studies on DDT, DDE, and breast cancer risk. These include the effect of analytic methods, dietary factors, menopausal status, use of different types of control populations, lactation history, estrogen receptor status, ethnic/racial subgroups, breast tumor characteristics, and polymorphisms. I also discuss the emerging research on whether serum levels of the persistent organochlorine insecticide dieldrin are related to breast cancer risk in Danish and American women. Further research needs are also identified.

Levels of selected persistent organic pollutants in blood from delivering women in seven selected areas of São Paulo State, Brazil

“…These man-made chemicals are highly resistant to biodegradation and have high affinities for bioaccumulation and biomagnifications, both in environment biota and in living organisms including humans. A number of human studies have shown POP exposure effects on neurological development; thyroid, oestrogen, and immune function; and cancer promotion (Brouwer et al, 1998;Patandin et al, 1999;Porta et al, 2008;Ribas-Fito et al, 2001;Snedeker, 2001;Tryphonas, 1998;Wolff and Toniolo, 1995).…”

Organochlorines in Swedish women: determinants of serum concentrations.

“…Worries about organochlorines as risk factors for cancer of the breast and endometrium of women have prompted a large number of epidemiologic studies on women from North America and Europe. However, the results do not suggest that PCB and DDT compounds are important risk factors for these types of cancer at current background levels in food Laden et al 2001;Snedeker 2001). A few studies indicate, however, that there may be a slightly increased risk of breast cancer at high dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE)/DDT exposure levels (Hoyer et al 2000;Romieu et al 2000).…”

The application of reporter gene assays for the detection of endocrine disruptors in sport supplements

“…Besides the favourable effects that sport supplements may have on body composition, the potential ED substances present in these products may also have undesirable effects. The list of detrimental effects they may cause in humans and their progeny is described in many reviews and clinical studies providing links with infertility, heart problems and different types of carcinoma [8,[30][31][32]. Furthermore, of concern is that this study obtained a positive hormonal response in more then 70% of the tested products.…”