1. ^aDivision of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
2. ^bDepartment of Urology and Kingston General Hospital, Queen's University, 76 Stuart Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 2V7
3. ^cCancer Research Center of Hawai'i, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813, USA
4. ^dDivision of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, John Balfour Urology Centre, D-9, 2733 Heather Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V5Z 3J5

Correspondence: Dr. Kristan J. Aronson, Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Queen's Cancer Research Institute, 10 Stuart Street second floor, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6. Tel.: +613 533 6000 Ext 78522. Fax: +613 533 6686. E-mail: aronson@queensu.ca

Received 7 July 2008; Accepted 5 May 2009; Published online 10 June 2009.

Abstract

A case–control study was conducted to determine the association between plasma organochlorine levels and prostate cancer risk. Male clinic patients scheduled for prostate core biopsy or seeing their urologist for other conditions from 1997 through 1999 in Kingston, Ontario were eligible, excluding those with an earlier cancer. Age frequency matched controls (n=329) were compared with 79 incident prostate cancer cases. Before knowledge of diagnosis, the patients completed a questionnaire and donated 15 ml of blood for the measurement of 14 PCBs, and 13 organochlorine pesticides by gas chromatography. At least 70% of patients had detectable levels of nine PCB congeners and seven pesticides, and these chemicals were included in the risk analysis adjusted for total lipids. Geometric means for these PCB congeners, total PCBs, and p,p'-DDE are slightly lower for cases than controls, whereas the levels of p,p'-DDT and other pesticides are virtually equal. Adjusting for age and other confounders in multivariable logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) are consistently below 1.0 for PCB congeners and total PCBs. For pesticides, most ORs are very close to the null. This study suggests that long-term low-level exposure to organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in the general population does not contribute to increased prostate cancer risk.