HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE COVER ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) CME: Take the course for this article: Organochlorines and Breast Cancer Risk Submit a letter to the editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Calle, E. E. Articles by Thun, M. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Calle, E. E. Articles by Thun, M. J.

Organochlorines and Breast Cancer Risk

Dr. Calle is Director of Analytic Epidemiology, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Frumkin is Chair, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.
Ms. Henley is Epidemiologist, Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Savitz is Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
Dr. Thun is Vice President for Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA.

Organochlorines are a diverse group of synthetic chemicals that include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and organochlorine pesticides such as dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), lindane, and hexachlorobenzene. Although use of DDT and PCBs has been banned in the United States since the 1970s, some organochlorine compounds have accumulated and persisted within the environment. As a result, measurable amounts can still be found in human tissue. Because some organochlorine compounds act as estrogen agonists or antagonists within in vitro and experimental animal systems, a possible association of breast cancer risk with organochlorine exposure has been hypothesized and investigated. Although a few studies support this hypothesis, the vast majority of epidemiological studies do not. While some of these compounds may have other adverse environmental or health effects, organochlorine exposure is not believed to be causally related to breast cancer. Women concerned about possible organochlorine exposure can be reassured that available evidence does not suggest an association between these chemicals and breast cancer.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. L. Teitelbaum, M. D. Gammon, J. A. Britton, A. I. Neugut, B. Levin, and S. D. Stellman Reported Residential Pesticide Use and Breast Cancer Risk on Long Island, New York Am. J. Epidemiol., March 15, 2007; 165(6): 643 - 651. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. Raaschou-Nielsen, M. Pavuk, A. LeBlanc, P. Dumas, J. Philippe Weber, A. Olsen, A. Tjonneland, K. Overvad, and J. H. Olsen Adipose Organochlorine Concentrations and Risk of Breast Cancer Among Postmenopausal Danish Women Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., January 1, 2005; 14(1): 67 - 74. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. D. Terry, J. B. Terry, and T. E. Rohan Long-Chain (n-3) Fatty Acid Intake and Risk of Cancers of the Breast and the Prostate: Recent Epidemiological Studies, Biological Mechanisms, and Directions for Future Research J. Nutr., December 1, 2004; 134(12): 3412S - 3420S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. G Moorman and P. D Terry Consumption of dairy products and the risk of breast cancer: a review of the literature Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2004; 80(1): 5 - 14. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. M Sharpe and D S. Irvine How strong is the evidence of a link between environmental chemicals and adverse effects on human reproductive health? BMJ, February 21, 2004; 328(7437): 447 - 451. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. E. Calle, H. Frumkin, S. J. Henley, D. A. Savitz, and M. J. Thun Organochlorines and Breast Cancer Risk CA Cancer J Clin, September 1, 2002; 52(5): 301 - 309. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]