Pesticides and breast cancer in women from Cordoba

Abstract

Exposure to environmental contaminants is an important public health problem, specially because of its possible carcinogenic effect. The raising incidence of cancer breast in Spain, together with the absence of clear association between this pathology and exposure to pesticides motivated us to assess the possible etiological role of pesticides in breast cancer development among women living in the province of Cordoba.

We conducted a case-control study including women subjected to surgical interference because of breast lesions in Reina Sofia University Hospital. All women were subjected to interview questionnaire, histopathological study of the lump and determinations of four pesticides (HCB, HCH, p, p’DDE and Aldrin) in breast fat using gas chromatography.

The histopathological study identified 69 women with malignant lesions (cases) and 65 women with benign lesions (controls). Analytic determination of the 4 pesticides detected high levels of p, p’DDE in all samples, followed by HCB and Aldrin and less levels and frequency of HCH.

The univariate analysis identified the age, lactation period, and levels of Aldrin as risk factors for malignant lesions, meanwhile the multivariate analysis identified the levels of Aldrin as the most significant risk factor (p < 0.001).

Causal relation was found between Aldrin and breast cancer, suggesting the need for future studies taking in consideration possible confusion factors.