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2.2 Endometrial cancer
[Summary]
Literature concerning epidemiology of endocrine disruptors
(except dioxins) and endometrial cancer was performed. Searching
the PubMed database retrieved two population-based studies up to
Dec. 31, 2000. No relevant report was found after Jan. 1, 2001.
The two case-control studies did not establish risk increase by
DDT or PCB as measured by the serum level. Epidemiologic
findings are thus very scanty, and adequate evaluation of the
causal relationship between those substances and endometrial
cancer incidence is difficult. Nested case-control studies on
uterine corps cancer are needed.
[Purpose]
Some organochlorine compounds have estrogen-like activities, and
therefore suspected of effects on the incidence of cancer
related to the female endocrine system (breast cancer and
endometrial cancer). While most of the existing epidemiologic
studies on the relationship of these compounds with cancer in
women focus on breast cancer, Adami et al. (1995) pointed out in
a review article the importance of studying endometrial cancer
rather than breast cancer for estimation of the cancer risk in
humans by endocrine disruptors, on the ground that the
endometrium is more sensitive to estrogens than the breast.
Literature was surveyed in order to summarize the present status
of epidemiologic research on the relationship of organochlorine
compounds (except dioxins) and endometrial cancer.
[Method]
The PubMed database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi)
provided by National Library of Medicine was searched with a
strategy Endometrial cancer AND ( Insecticides OR Pesticides OR
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons OR PCBs OR Bisphenol OR Phenol OR
Phthalate OR Styrene OR Furan OR Organotin OR Diethylstilbestrol
OR Ethinyl Estradioldioxins). From among the candidate citations
retrieved, original papers reporting epidemiologic studies on
human populations were selected, and other articles cited in
these papers were added.
[Results]
Search found two population-based case-control studies (Stugeon
1998, Weiderpass 2000) on the relationship of endometrial cancer
and organochlorine compounds (see Table 1). Sturgeon and
coworkers studied 90 cases of endometrial cancer and a control
population of 90 persons in five regions in the U.S. No compound
was found to increase significantly the odds ratio with
increasing concentration in serum. The same conclusion was given
by Weiderpass et al. who studied 154 cases and a 205-people
control in Sweden. The two studies categorize the chemicals into
those with estrogen-like activities and those with anti-estrogen
activities.
No epidemiologic study has been conducted on the relationship of
endocrine disruptors and endometrial cancer of Japanese
subjects.
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