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2.4 Prostatic cancer
[Summary]
Literature survey concerning epidemiology of endocrine
disruptors (except dioxins) and prostatic cancer was performed.
Searching the PubMed database retrieved 13 reports published up
to Dec. 31, 2000, consisting of 7 cohort studies, 3 case-control
studies and 3 ecological studies. Since Jan. 1, 2001, 3 cohort
studies, 3 nested case-control studies and 2 ecological studies
were published. No Japanese subject was studied in these papers.
The results of the two cohort studies on atrazine did not agree
and thus did not permit conclusion on the relevance.
Epidemiologic studies on the relationship of organochlorine
compounds and prostatic cancer were so few that it was
impossible to evaluate the causality. Increase in prostatic
cancer risk by exposure to pesticides was suggested but
evaluation for specific products was not possible. Endocrine
disruptors other than organochlorine compounds were scarcely
studied in relation to prostatic cancer, and need more
epidemiologic study.
[Purpose]
Some organochlorine compounds have affinity to estrogen or
androgen receptors. The relationship of exposure to these
compounds with endocrine-related cancer has been attracted
attention. Exposure of rats to testostreone caused prostatic
cancer in an animal experiment. Literature was surveyed in order
to summarize the present status of epidemiologic research on the
relationship of chemical substances and prostatic 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 "(Prostatic Neoplasms) 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 Estradiol) AND (human)". From among 1347 citations
retrieved, original papers reporting epidemiologic studies on
human populations were selected, and, as necessary, other
articles cited in these papers or reviews were added.
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