Breast cancer and serum organochlorine residues

[en] Background: Controversy still exists about the breast carcinogenic properties in humans of environmental xenoestrogens (organochlorines), justifying new investigations. Aims: To compare the blood levels of total dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in samples collected at the time of breast cancer discovery, in order to avoid the potential consequences of body weight change ( after chemotherapy or radiotherapy) on the pesticide residue levels. Methods: Blood levels of HCB and total DDT (we calculated total DDT concentrations by adding all DDT and DDE isomers) were compared in 159 women with breast cancer and 250 presumably healthy controls. Risk of breast cancer associated with organochlorine concentration was evaluated. Results: Mean levels of total DDT and HCB were significantly higher for breast cancer patients than for controls. No differences in serum levels of total DDT or HCB were found between oestrogen receptor positive and oestrogen receptor negative patients with breast cancer. Conclusions: These results add to the growing evidence that certain persistent pollutants may occur in higher concentrations in blood samples from breast cancer patients than controls.

Disciplines :

Public health, health care sciences & services

Author, co-author :

Charlier, Corinne ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de pharmacie > Chimie toxicologique

Albert, Adelin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la santé publique > Informatique médicale et biostatistique

Herman, Philippe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Services généraux (Faculté de médecine) > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Médecine)

Hamoir, Etienne ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Chirurgie abdominale- endocrinienne et de transplantation

Gaspard, Ulysse ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Services généraux (Faculté de médecine) > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Médecine)

Meurisse, Michel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Chirurgicale abdominale

Plomteux, Guy ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Services généraux (Faculté de médecine) > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Médecine)

Language :

English

Title :

Breast cancer and serum organochlorine residues

Publication date :

May 2003

Journal title :

Occupational and Environmental Medicine

ISSN :

1351-0711

eISSN :

1470-7926

Publisher :

British Med Journal Publ Group, London, United Kingdom

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

348-351

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 16 March 2009

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