Cancer Archives

Breast Cancer and the environment; (Archive.)

I thought this was interesting...
Misty
http://www.searching-alternatives.com

Pesticides are linked to breast cancer
By Celia Hall, Medical Editor

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?
xml=/news/2003/04/24/wddt24.xml&
sSheet=/news/2003/04/24/ixworld.html

Daily Telegraph (Britain)
April 24, 2003

A new link has been found between breast cancer and
pesticides. Women with breast cancer are at least five
times more likely to have residues of the pesticide
DDT in their blood than those who do not, according to
Belgian doctors.

They looked for levels of two pesticides -
organochlorines (DDT), which contain oestrogens, and
hexachlorobenzene (HCB) - in the blood of the two
groups.

When DDT breaks down, it forms another chemical, DDE,
which behaves like the female hormone oestrogen.

Dr Charles Charlier, a toxicologist at Sart Tilman
Hospital, Liege, says in the journal Occupational and
Environmental Medicine today that women diagnosed with
breast cancer are more than five times more likely to
have DDT residues and nine times more likely to have
HCB residues in their blood than the control group.

DDT was banned in most developed countries following a
lead by America in 1972 but research has shown that it
can remain active in tissues for 50 years. HCB
continues to be used.

Dr Charlier's work was based on 600 women in Belgium
referred for suspected breast cancer. Of these, 159
had the cancer and agreed to have their blood analysed
for the research.

He calls for more research into how humans might be
exposed to organochlorines, particularly by eating
foods that have been treated with pesticides.

Thanks Dr Stoll, goes with one of my earlier postings, on Produce & Pesticeds!

Oops, I ment Pesticides!