Agricultural pesticides are abundant environmental contaminants worldwide, prompting interest in studying their possible detrimental health effects. We examined organochlorine residues by quadrant (n = 245) in breast adipose tissues from 51 women with various stages of breast health to determine patterns of bioaccumulation within the breast and to assess relationships with patient clinical characteristics. Three organochlorine residues-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene (
p,p'-DDE),
hexachlorobenzene (
HCB), and
mirex-assayed by high resolution gas chromatography were abundant in breast tissue.
p,p'-DDE (745 ± 1054 ng/g
lipid) was the most prevalent residue, comprising 97.5% of the total chemical burden. Mean levels of
p,p'-DDE and
HCB were significantly correlated (P < .001) with patient age at
mastectomy, and levels of
p,p'-DDE were correlated (P < .05) with BMI.
Pesticide concentrations did not differ significantly by breast quadrant and were not different in the quadrant(s) where the primary
tumor was located compared to other
cancer-free quadrants. In invasive
cancer patients, organochlorine levels differed significantly based on clinical characteristics of the primary
carcinoma, including stage, grade, ER status, and HER2 status, indicating that body burden of organochlorines may influence the development of specific subtypes of
breast cancer. Potentially carcinogenic organochlorines were present at high levels within the human breast warranting further research to determine the impact of organochlorines in the etiology of
breast cancer.