Dioxin-like activity in blood from women with breast cancer and their age-matched controls

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women today, and although many risk factors are known, these cannot fully explain the vast increase in breast cancer incidences the last decades. Persistent organic pollutants have been indicated as potential carcinogenic compounds and it is therefore interesting to see if they can be a factor in the development of the disease. Here, we assessed the association between dioxin-like activity in blood and the risk of breast cancer. 290 women in the ages 41-55 years who participated in the nationwide survey The Norwegian Women and Cancer study (NOWAC) answered questionnaires and donated blood samples in the years 1999 to 2006. 98 of these were diagnosed with breast cancer. The blood samples were analyzed using an AhR-responsive reporter gene bioassay, CALUX, to measure the dioxin-like activity. We found no significant association between the dioxin-like activity and the risk of breast cancer. These findings are similar to what the majority of other studies have found. However, limitations in the sample size and possibly the time of blood sampling are important factors when evaluating the results, and more research is needed in the area.