Abstract
The incidence of breast cancer in Korea has been increasing for the last two decades (1983–2005), and now, breast cancer is ranked the leading cause of cancer in Korean women. Along with other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), bisphenol A (BPA) has been suspected as a potential risk factor for breast cancer. We studied potential associations between BPA exposure and breast cancer risks in Korean women by performing biomonitoring of BPA among breast cancer patients and controls (N = 167). Blood samples were collected between 1994 and 1997 and kept over 10 years in a freezer under well controlled conditions. The blood BPA levels determined by HPLC/FD, ranged between LOD (0.012 µg/L) and 13.87 µg/L (mean ± SD, 1.69 ± 2.57 µg/L; median, 0.043 µg/L). In age-matched subjects (N = 152), there were some associations between BPA levels and risks of breast cancer, such as age at first birth and null parity. However, there were no significant differences in blood BPA levels between the cases and the controls (P = 0.42). Considering interactions between BPA exposure and risks of breast cancer, we suggest further enlarged biomonitoring studies of BPA to provide effective prevention against breast cancer.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Calafat AM, Ye XY, Silva MJ, Kuklenyik Z, Needham LL (2006) Human exposure assessment to environmental chemicals using biomonitoring. Int J Androl 29:166–170
Choi DH, Lee NH, Bale AE, Carter D, Haffty BG (2004) Incidence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in young Korean breast cancer patients. J Clin Oncol 22:1638–1645
Colborn T, Dumonoski D, Myers JP (1996) Our stolen future: are we threatening our fertility, intelligence, and survival? Penguin Books, New York
Dirtu AC, Roosens L, Geens T, Gheorghe A, Neels H, Covaci A (2008) Simultaneous determination of bisphenol A, triclosan, and tetrabromobisphenol A in human serum using solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-electron capture negative-ionization mass spectrometry. Anal Bioanal Chem 391(4):1175–1781
Durando M, Kass L, Piva J, Sonnenschein C, Soto AM, Luque EH et al (2007) Prenatal bisphenol A exposure induces preneoplastic lesions in the mammary gland in Wistar rats. Environ Health Perspect 115:80–86
Ibarluzea JM, Fernandez MF, Santa-Marina L, Olea-Serrano MF, Rivas AM, Aurrekoetxea JJ et al (2004) Breast cancer risk and the combined effect of environmental estrogens. Cancer Causes Control 15:591–600
Maffini MV, Rubin BS, Sonnenschein C, Soto AM (2006) Endocrine disruptors and reproductive health: the case of bisphenol-A. Mol Cell Endocrinol 254:179–186
Matsumoto A, Kunugita N, Kitagawa K, Isse T, Oyama T, Foureman GL et al (2003) Bisphenol A levels in human urine. Environ Health Perspect 111:101–104
National Cancer Information Center, Korea http://211.114.9.232/nciapps/user/index.jsp
Parkin DM, Bray F, Ferlay J, Pisani P (2005) Global cancer statistics, 2002. Ca Cancer J Clin 55:74–108
Recchia AG, Vivacqua A, Gabriele S, Carpino A, Fasanella G, Rago V et al (2004) Xenoestrogens and the induction of proliferative effects in breast cancer cells via direct activation of oestrogen receptor alpha. Food Addit Contam 21:134–144
Ritchie JM, Vial SL, Fuortes LJ, Guo HJ, Reedy VE, Smith EM (2003) Organochlorines and risk of prostate cancer. J Occup Environ Med 45:692–702
Sasco AJ (2001) Epidemiology of breast cancer: an environmental disease? Apmis 109:S80–S91
Stewart B, Kleihaus P (2003) World Cancer Report. IARC press, Lyon
Sugiura-Ogasawara M, Ozaki Y, Sonta SI, Makino T, Suzumori K (2005) Exposure to bisphenol A is associated with recurrent miscarriage. Hum Reprod 20:2325–2329
Yang M, Kim SY, Lee SM, Chang SS, Kawamoto T, Jang JY et al (2003) Biological monitoring of bisphenol A in a Korean population. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 44:546–551
Yang M, Park MS, Lee HS (2006) Endocrine disrupting chemicals: human exposure and health risks. J Environ Sci Health Part C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev 24:183–224
Yoo KY, Kang D, Park SK, Kim SU, Shin A, Yoon H et al (2002) Epidemiology of breast cancer in Korea: occurrence, high-risk groups, and prevention. J Korean Med Sci 17:1–6
Yoo KY, Park SK, Kang D (2006) Lifestyle, genetic susceptibility and future trends of breast cancer in Korea. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 6:679–682
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the SRC program of KOSEF (Research Center for Women’s Diseases). We appreciate Mr. Dustin Tower at Sookmyung Women’s University for his English comments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yang, M., Ryu, JH., Jeon, R. et al. Effects of bisphenol A on breast cancer and its risk factors. Arch Toxicol 83, 281–285 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-008-0364-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-008-0364-0