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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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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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-015-0643-z