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Organochlorine pesticides and prostate cancer, Is there an association? A meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence

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Abstract

Purpose

The results of epidemiological studies about exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and risk of prostate cancer (PC) are inconclusive. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between exposure to specific OCPs and PC.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of science databases for case–control and cohort studies published till March 2015 that provided data about exposure to OCPs and PC. We also contacted authors and hand-searched references of the included articles. We calculated pooled estimates using random effects model and explored heterogeneity between studies.

Results

We systematically reviewed 15 articles and based our meta-analysis on 10 articles covering nine case–control studies and a large prospective cohort study. Pooled estimates of PC for highest versus lowest exposed category to p,p′-DDE was 1.02 (0.69–1.35), I 2 = 12.7 %, p = 0.333, trans-nonachlor, 0.88 (0.45–1.31), I 2 = 0.00 %, p = 0.892, oxychlordane, 0.91 (0.46–1.35), hexachlorobenzene, 0.88 (0.18–1.57), I 2 = 36.0 %, p = 0.210 from combining results of studies that applied serum OCPs measurements among the general population. For DDT, stratifying studies by exposed population revealed homogeneity, pooled estimate for serum level measurement for the highest exposed versus the lowest exposed of the general population was 0.81 (0.95–1.26), I 2 = 0.00 %, p = 0.400, and for occupational exposure 1.30 (0.94–1.67), I 2 = 13.4 %, p = 0.315. A positive but also insignificant association was obtained for pooling results for high exposure to lindane among farmers and pesticide applicators, 1.56 (0.82–2.29), I 2 = 41.7 %, p = 0.180.

Conclusions

The existing epidemiological data do not support the hypothesis that exposure to specific OCPs is associated with an increased incidence of PC in the general population.

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Abbreviations

AHS:

Agricultural Health Study

CI:

Confidence interval

DDT:

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

EPA:

Environmental Protection Agency

HCB:

Hexachlorobenzene

HCH:

Hexachlorocyclohexane

IARC:

International Agency of Research on Cancer

JEM:

Job exposure matrix

NOS:

Newcastle–Ottawa Scale

OCs:

Organochlorines

OCPs:

Organochlorine pesticides

OR:

Odds ratio

p,p′-DDE:

p,p′-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene

PC:

Prostate cancer

RR:

Relative risk

SE:

Standard error

SIR:

Standardized incidence ratio

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Acknowledgments

This paper is part of the Ph.D. work of A.M.L.M. It presents independent research commissioned by the European Union and reflects the view only of the author. The commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Author contribution

A.M.L.M. conducted the searches, reviewed the papers, interpreted the analysis and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. A.B.C. contributed to the design of the study, reviewing of the papers, interpretation of the analysis, and writing of the manuscript. R.O.R. contributed to the searching and reviewing of the papers. V.M.R. contributed to the reviewing of the papers. J.J.J.M. designed the search strategy, contributed to the reviewing of the papers, interpretation of the analysis, and the writing of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the submission of the manuscript.

Funding

This project has been funded with support of the European Commission (Erasmus Mundus scholarship).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Granada, Avenida de Madrid, 11, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Anne-Mary Lewis-Mikhael, Rocío Olmedo-Requena, Virginia Martínez-Ruiz, Aurora Bueno-Cavanillas & José Juan Jiménez-Moleón

  2. Department of Occupational Health and Industrial Medicine, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    Anne-Mary Lewis-Mikhael

  3. CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain

    Rocío Olmedo-Requena, Aurora Bueno-Cavanillas & José Juan Jiménez-Moleón

  4. Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada (ibs. GRANADA), Servicio Andaluz de Salud/Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain

    Rocío Olmedo-Requena, Aurora Bueno-Cavanillas & José Juan Jiménez-Moleón

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  1. Anne-Mary Lewis-Mikhael
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Correspondence to Anne-Mary Lewis-Mikhael.

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Lewis-Mikhael, AM., Olmedo-Requena, R., Martínez-Ruiz, V. et al. Organochlorine pesticides and prostate cancer, Is there an association? A meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence. Cancer Causes Control 26, 1375–1392 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-015-0643-z

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