 | | Environmental Health Perspectives 103, Supplement 7, October 1995
[Citation in PubMed]
Environmental Organochlorine Exposure as a Potential Etiologic Factor in Breast Cancer
Mary S. Wolff1 and Paolo G. Toniolo2
1Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York;
2Institute of Environmental Medicine and Kaplan Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York University Medical Center, New York, New York
Abstract
Known risk factors for breast cancer do not account for a significant proportion of the overall incidence. Reproductive factors and endogenous hormones are thought to be responsible for a large component of risk. An environmental contribution has been sought in the past to explain the international trends in breast cancer rates and changes in risk among migrating populations. Recently, environmental research has turned to investigation of exogenous chemical exposures, including environmental contamination, as potential risk factors that may arise from the hormonal activity or from the carcinogenicity of many of these chemicals. Several reports since 1991 suggest that organochlorines may be a risk factor for breast cancer. The data are strongest for DDT. For PCBs, the results to date have been equivocal if not entirely negative. However, different groups of PCB congeners are known to provoke biological responses that are structure specific. A wide divergence of estrogenic response, cytochrome P450 activity, and biological half-life exists within these groups of PCB congeners. Therefore, understanding breast cancer risk from PCB exposure requires attention to congener structures in complex mixtures and to temporal changes in exposure. Investigation of environmental contributions to breast cancer risk offers the potential for understanding more about the etiology of this complex disease and may also provide opportunities for prevention of the most common cancer among women in the United States. -- Environ Health Perspect 103(Suppl 7):141-145 (1995)
Keywords: breast cancer, organochlorines, DDT, PCBs, metabolism, estrogenic
This paper was presented at the Symposium on Estrogens in the Environment, III: Global Health Implications held 9-11 January 1994 in Washington, DC. Manuscript received: March 15,1995; manuscript accepted: April 4,1995.
Address correspondence to Dr. Mary S. Wolff, Division of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1057, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029. Telephone (212) 241-6183. Fax (212) 966-0407. e-mail MSWMS@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Abbreviations used: DDT, bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane; DDE, bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethene; PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls; TCDD, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin; NIEHS, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; HCH, hexachlorocyclohexane; BHC, benzene hexachloride; HCB, hexachlorobenzene; ppb, parts per billion; PAH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
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