Organochlorine Pesticide Tissue Levels in Benign and Malignant Breast Disease: A Comparative Exploratory Study

Exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) may be a risk factor for breast cancer (BC). Their role may be more relevant in developing countries such as India, where an abundance of these products is used for agricultural purposes. The present study compares OCP tissue levels in patients who underwent BC surgery (group A) or patients who had surgery for excision of breast fibroadenoma (group B). We perform OCP level quantification using a PerkinElmer, Inc. (Waltham, MA) gas chromatograph (GC) that is equipped with a 63Ni selective electron-capture detector. Significantly higher breast tissue OCP levels are present in the study population, indicating significant exposure. We detect 18 different types of OPCs in study subjects, with six OPCs (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane [HCH], δ-HCH, endrin, endosulfan-II, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroenthane [DDD], and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroenthane [DDT]) present in all subjects. Endosulfan-II, p,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDD tissue levels are significantly higher in BC patients than in those with fibroadenoma. Higher tissue levels of OCPs (α-HCH) are significantly associated with the presence of extracapsular spread (1.42 vs. 0.91; p = 0.04) and higher disease stage (early BC vs. locally advanced BC; 18.90 vs. 11.90; p = 0.04). The present pilot study indicates higher OCP tissue levels in northern India BC patients compared to patients with fibroadenoma.