Advisory Committee on Health Effects of Endocrine Disruptors
The Supplement II to the Intermediary Report
1.4.2.3

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3. Summary
(New findings since 2001 in boldface)

[Carcinogenicity]

• No evidence on Japanese subjects.
• Nested cohort studies provide strong evidence that organochlorine compounds (including PCBs and organochlorine pesticides) are not associated with breast cancer. However, some studies recognize possibility of close correlation in stratified analysis (e.g. pre- and post-menopause, genetic polymorphism). Further study is needed for vulnerable subgroups.
• Cohort studies provide strong evidence that oral administration of DES is associated with breast cancer risk increase by 20-30%.
• Epidemiologic studies on association of other chemicals with breast cancer are few and do not permit to draw definitive conclusion.
• Cohort studies on association of DES with ovarian cancer disagree in the results, and do not permit to draw definitive conclusion.
• Epidemiologic studies on association of other chemicals with ovarian cancer are scarce and do not permit to draw definitive conclusion.
• The two cohort studies on association of atrazine with prostatic cancer disagree in the results, and do not permit to draw definitive conclusion.
• Epidemiologic studies on association of other chemicals with prostatic cancer are few and do not permit to draw definitive conclusion.
• Epidemiologic studies on cancer of other endocrine-related organs (uterine body, testicle, thyroid gland, etc.) are few and do not permit to draw definitive conclusion.

• Cross-sectional studies suggest that severe PCB exposure reduces thyroid functions, but do not provide sufficient evidence of association. More sophisticated epidemiologic studies are needed.
• Exposure of infants to relatively low level of PCB is suggested to reduce thyroid functions by some reports but this effect is denied by others; no definitive conclusion can be drawn.
• Most studies on HCB are cross-sectional and do not permit to draw definitive conclusion.
• Epidemiologic studies on association of thyroid functions with other chemical substances are few and do not permit to draw definitive conclusions.

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