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Serum organochlorines and breast cancer risk in Japanese women: a case–control study

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Abstract

Objective

Most epidemiological studies of the association between breast cancer risk and exposure to organochlorine pesticides or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are suspected endocrine disrupters and potential risk factors for human breast cancer, have been conducted in western countries, and the majority of results have been null and the rest inconsistent. Here, we examined these associations in Japanese women in the largest study in Asian women to date.

Methods

The study was a matched case–control study of breast cancer with 403 eligible matched pairs from May 2001 to September 2005 at four hospitals in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Measurements

Serum samples were measured for PCBs and nine pesticide-related organochlorines, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Odds ratios of breast cancer or its hormone-receptor-defined subtypes according to serum organochlorines were calculated.

Results

No increase in the risk of breast cancer was seen among women with higher serum concentrations of any organochlorine: o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDT, p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, hexachlorobenzene, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, oxychlordane, mirex, or PCBs. Rather, higher serum levels of cis-nonachlor, mirex, or total PCBs were associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer

Conclusions

Overall, these results suggest that breast cancer risk in Japan, a low-incidence country, is similar to that in western countries in terms of organochlorine exposure.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Health and Labour Sciences Research Grant for Research on the Risk of Chemical Substances. Hiroaki Itoh is an awardee of a Research Resident Fellowship from the Japan Food Hygiene Association for Research on the Risk of Chemical Substances, which is supported by this grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology and Prevention Division, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Hiroaki Itoh, Motoki Iwasaki, Tomoyuki Hanaoka & Shoichiro Tsugane

  2. Department of Surgery, Nagano Matsushiro General Hospital, 183 Matsushiro, Matsushiro-cho, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, 381-1231, Japan

    Yoshio Kasuga

  3. Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, 390-8621, Japan

    Yoshio Kasuga

  4. Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Nagano Red Cross Hospital, 5-22-1 Wakasato, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, 380-8582, Japan

    Shiro Yokoyama & Hiroshi Onuma

  5. Department of Respiratory Surgery, Nagano Municipal Hospital, 1333-1 Tomitake, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, 381-8551, Japan

    Hideki Nishimura

  6. Department of Surgery, Hokushin General Hospital, 1-5-63 Nishi, Nakano City, Nagano Prefecture, 383-8505, Japan

    Ritsu Kusama

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  1. Hiroaki Itoh
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  2. Motoki Iwasaki
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Correspondence to Motoki Iwasaki.

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Itoh, H., Iwasaki, M., Hanaoka, T. et al. Serum organochlorines and breast cancer risk in Japanese women: a case–control study. Cancer Causes Control 20, 567–580 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9265-z

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