US EPA

2166412 

Journal Article 

Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene, polychlorinated biphenyls, and breast cancer among African-American and white women in North Carolina 

Millikan, R; Devoto, E; Duell, EJ; Tse, CK; Savitz, DA; Beach, J; Edmiston, S; Jackson, S; Newman, B 

2000 

Yes 

Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
ISSN: 1055-9965
EISSN: 1538-7755 

9 

11 

1233-1240 

English 

11097232 

WOS:000165318500013 

https://search.proquest.com/docview/72432751?accountid=171501
Exit
 

We examined plasma dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene (DDE) and total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in relation to breast cancer in a population-based, case-control study of African-American women (292 cases and 270 controls) and white women (456 cases and 389 controls) in North Carolina. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for breast cancer comparing the highest to lowest third of DDE were 1.41 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87-2.29] in African-American women and 0.98 (95% CI, 0.67-1.43) in white women. ORs comparing the highest to lowest third of total PCBs were 1.74 (95% CI, 1.00-3.01) in African-American women and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.68-1.56) in white women. Among African-Americans, the OR for total PCBs was highest for obese women (body mass index 234.2; OR, 4.92; 95% CI, 1.63-14.83). In contrast, the OR for DDE was highest for the leanest African-American women (body mass index, <25; OR, 3.84; 95% CI, 0.98-15.08). ORs for DDE were not elevated among women who lived or worked on farms or elevated among farming women who reported exposure to pesticides. Our results suggest absence of a strong effect for DDE or total PCBs in breast cancer but lend support for associations among subgroups of women. In our study, factors such as income, parity, breastfeeding, race/ethnicity, and body mass index influenced the relationship of organochlorines and breast cancer. Differing distributions of such factors may explain some of the inconsistencies across previous studies. 

Environmental Pollutants; Insecticides; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; 4M7FS82U08; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; DFC2HB4I0K; Index Medicus; Obesity; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Breast Feeding; Case-Control Studies; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology); North Carolina -- ethnology; Odds Ratio; North Carolina -- epidemiology; Breast Neoplasms -- etiology; Environmental Pollutants -- adverse effects; Insecticides -- adverse effects; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene -- adverse effects; European Continental Ancestry Group; Polychlorinated Biphenyls -- blood; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene -- blood; Insecticides -- blood; Polychlorinated Biphenyls -- adverse effects; Environmental Pollutants -- blood; African Continental Ancestry Group; Breast Neoplasms -- ethnology