Medical Hypothesis: Xenoestrogens As Preventable Causes of Breast Cancer

Authors:
  • DDDevra Lee Davis
    Devra Lee Davis
  • HBH. Leon Bradlow
    H. Leon Bradlow
  • MWMary Wolff
    Mary Wolff
  • TWTracey Woodruff
    Tracey Woodruff
  • DHDavid G. Hoel
    David G. Hoel
  • HAHoda Anton-Culver
    Hoda Anton-Culver
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Abstract
Changes in documented risk factors for breast cancer and rates of screening cannot completely explain recent increases in incidence or mortality. Established risk factors for breast cancer, including genetics, account for at best 30% of cases. Most of these risk factors can be linked to total lifetime exposure to bioavailable estrogens. Experimental evidence reveals that compounds such as some chlorinated organics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), triazine herbicides, and pharmaceuticals affect estrogen production and metabolism and thus function as xenoestrogens. Many of these xenoestrogenic compounds also experimentally induce mammary carcinogenesis. Recent epidemiologic studies have found that breast fat and serum lipids of women with breast cancer contain significantly elevated levels of some chlorinated organics compared with noncancer controls. As the proportion of inherited breast cancer in the population is small, most breast cancers are due to acquired mutations. Thus, the induction of br...