Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, and Breast Cancer among African-American and White Women in North Carolina

DOI: Published November 2000

Article Figures & Data

Table 1

Plasma levels of DDE and total PCBs among cases and controls in the CBCS

Table 2

ORs for lipid-adjusted DDE and PCBs and breast cancer, overall and stratified by race

	Cases	Controls	OR^a (95% CI)	OR^b (95% CI)
All participants
DDE^c
<0.394	274	220	Referent	Referent
0.394 to <1.044	231	219	0.96 (0.73–1.25)	1.05 (0.79–1.40)
≥1.044	243	220	1.00 (0.74–1.36)	1.09 (0.79–1.51)
Total PCBs^d
<0.283	239	219	Referent	Referent
0.283 to <0.469	266	220	1.29 (0.98–1.69)	1.29 (0.97–1.72)
≥0.469	243	220	1.21 (0.89–1.65)	1.09 (0.79–1.52)
African-Americans
DDE
<0.71	89	90	Referent	Referent
0.71 to <1.8	90	90	1.11 (0.72–1.72)	1.12 (0.70–1.77)
≥1.8	113	90	1.37 (0.87–2.17)	1.41 (0.87–2.29)
Total PCBs
<0.312	79	90	Referent	Referent
0.312 to <0.54	97	90	1.48 (0.95–2.33)	1.35 (0.84–2.16)
≥0.54	116	90	1.79 (1.07–3.01)	1.74 (1.00–3.01)
Whites
DDE
<0.30	176	130	Referent	Referent
0.30 to <0.66	146	129	0.91 (0.65–1.27)	0.97 (0.68–1.40)
≥0.66	134	130	0.87 (0.62–1.24)	0.98 (0.67–1.43)
Total PCBs
<0.265	149	130	Referent	Referent
0.265 to <0.417	172	129	1.32 (0.94–1.85)	1.32 (0.92–1.90)
≥0.417	135	130	1.19 (0.81–1.74)	1.03 (0.68–1.56)

^a Adjusted for age, age-squared, and race (all participants).
^b Adjusted for age, age-squared, race (all participants), menopausal status, BMI, parity/lactation, HRT use, and income.
^c p,p′-DDE in μg/g lipid.
^d Total PCBs in μg/g lipid.

Table 3

ORs for lipid-adjusted DDE and PCBs and breast cancer, stratified by parity and history of breastfeeding

	Cases	Controls	OR^a (95% CI)	OR^b (95% CI)
Nulliparous
DDE^c
<0.394	41	25	Referent	Referent
0.394 to <1.044	36	23	1.28 (0.59–2.78)	1.24 (0.54–2.82)
≥1.044	35	17	1.87 (0.67–5.20)	1.48 (0.49–4.46)
Total PCBs^d
<0.283	37	25	Referent	Referent
0.283 to <0.469	39	21	1.51 (0.69–3.33)	2.06 (0.88–4.85)
≥0.469	36	19	1.74 (0.67–4.54)	1.62 (0.57–4.58)
Parous, never breastfed
DDE
<0.394	131	102	Referent	Referent
0.394 to <1.044	122	123	0.86 (0.59–1.26)	0.96 (0.65–1.42)
≥1.044	134	111	1.07 (0.91–2.15)	1.23 (0.80–1.89)
Total PCBs
<0.283	115	112	Referent	Referent
0.283 to <0.469	159	125	1.51 (1.04–2.20)	1.50 (1.01–2.23)
≥0.469	113	99	1.40 (0.91–2.15)	1.30 (0.82–2.06)
Parous, ever breastfed
DDE
<0.394	102	93	Referent	Referent
0.394 to <1.044	73	73	0.94 (0.60–1.48)	1.16 (0.70–1.90)
≥1.044	74	92	0.71 (0.41–1.21)	0.80 (0.45–1.44)
Total PCBs
<0.283	87	82	Referent	Referent
0.283 to <0.469	68	74	0.92 (0.58–1.47)	0.90 (0.55–1.48)
≥0.469	94	102	0.95 (0.57–1.57)	0.84 (0.49–1.44)

^a Adjusted for age, age-squared, and race.
^b Adjusted for age, age-squared, race, menopausal status, BMI, HRT use, and income.
^c p,p′-DDE in μg/g lipid.
^d Total PCBs in μg/g lipid.

Table 4

ORs for lipid-adjusted DDE and breast cancer, stratified by BMI

	Case no.	Control no.	OR^a (95% CI)	OR^b (95% CI)
Lowest third of BMI^c
African-Americans
DDE^d
<0.71	37	35	Referent	Referent
0.71 to <1.8	29	21	1.31 (0.62–2.73)	1.25 (0.57–2.73)
≥1.8	36	31	1.14 (0.55–2.35)	1.54 (0.58–3.49)
Whites
DDE
<0.30	89	51	Referent	Referent
0.30 to <0.66	38	40	0.61 (0.34–1.08)	0.69 (0.37–1.28)
≥0.54	45	37	0.91 (0.50–1.64)	0.99 (0.52–1.88)
Middle third of BMI
African-Americans
DDE
<0.71	27	29	Referent	Referent
0.71 to <1.8	35	31	1.13 (0.51–2.49)	0.80 (0.33–1.92)
≥1.8	38	27	1.17 (0.49–2.79)	1.07 (0.41–2.76)
Whites
DDE
<0.30	48	43	Referent	Referent
0.30 to <0.66	59	51	1.15 (0.64–2.05)	0.91 (0.48–1.74)
≥0.54	52	35	1.53 (0.81–2.91)	1.29 (0.63–2.64)
Highest third of BMI
African-Americans
DDE
<0.71	21	23	Referent	Referent
0.71 to <1.8	23	34	0.98 (0.41–2.34)	0.98 (0.37–2.55)
≥1.8	37	31	1.86 (0.77–4.49)	1.90 (0.71–5.09)
Whites
DDE
<0.30	35	35	Referent	Referent
0.30 to <0.66	48	36	1.30 (0.68–2.50)	1.66 (0.81–3.39)
≥0.54	37	58	0.62 (0.32–1.19)	0.89 (0.43–1.82)

^a Adjusted for age and age-squared.
^b Adjusted for age, age-squared, menopausal status, parity/lactation, HRT use, and income.
^c Cutpoints for BMI (kg/m²) are race specific: <28.16, 28.16 to <34.2, and≥ 34.2 in African-Americans; <23.50, 23.50 to <27.94, and ≥27.94 in whites.
^d p,p′-DDE in μg/g lipid. Cutpoints for DDE are race specific, based upon controls.

Table 5

ORs for lipid-adjusted total PCBs and breast cancer, stratified by BMI

	Cases	Controls	OR^a (95% CI)	OR^b (95% CI)
Lowest third of BMI^c
African-Americans
Total PCBs^d
<0.312	29	24	Referent	Referent
0.312 to <0.54	38	30	1.13 (0.54–2.40)	1.22 (0.54–2.73)
≥0.54	35	33	0.90 (0.38–2.11)	0.82 (0.32–2.08)
Whites
Total PCBs
<0.265	54	36	Referent	Referent
0.265 to <0.417	69	35	1.50 (0.82–2.74)	1.28 (0.67–2.42)
≥0.417	49	57	0.90 (0.47–1.71)	0.72 (0.36–1.46)
Middle third of BMI
African-Americans
Total PCBs
<0.312	24	29	Referent	Referent
0.312 to <0.54	32	31	1.31 (0.59–2.90)	1.11 (0.48–2.60)
≥0.54	44	27	1.65 (0.63–4.36)	2.51 (0.85–7.45)
Whites
Total PCBs
<0.265	53	38	Referent	Referent
0.265 to <0.417	50	47	0.83 (0.45–1.52)	0.81 (0.41–1.62)
≥0.417	56	44	0.95 (0.49–1.85)	0.77 (0.36–1.65)
Highest third of BMI
African-Americans
Total PCBs
<0.312	23	33	Referent	Referent
0.312 to <0.54	25	28	2.09 (0.87–5.05)	2.20 (0.86–5.63)
≥0.54	33	27	3.83 (1.42–10.34)	4.92 (1.63–14.83)
Whites
Total PCBs
<0.265	39	55	Referent	Referent
0.265 to <0.417	52	45	1.79 (0.99–3.25)	1.85 (0.97–3.54)
≥0.417	29	29	1.79 (0.85–3.79)	1.82 (0.79–4.20)

^a Adjusted for age, age-squared.
^b Adjusted for age, age-squared, menopausal status, parity/lactation, HRT use, and income.
^c Cutpoints for BMI (kg/m²) are race specific: <28.16, 28.16 to <34.2, and≥ 34.2 in African-Americans; <23.50, 23.50 to <27.94, and ≥27.94 in whites.
^d Total PCBs in μg/g lipid. Cutpoints for total PCBs are race specific, based upon controls.

Table 6

ORs for lipid-adjusted DDE and breast cancer, stratified by farming history

	Cases	Controls	OR^a (95% CI)	OR^b (95% CI)
Never farmed
African-Americans
DDE^c
<0.71	47	50	Referent	Referent
0.71 to <1.8	41	37	1.23 (0.64–2.37)	1.26 (0.61–2.62)
≥1.8	29	29	1.05 (0.49–2.23)	1.14 (0.51–2.58)
Whites
DDE
<0.30	115	87	Referent	Referent
0.30 to <0.66	93	71	1.09 (0.71–1.66)	1.19 (0.75–1.89)
≥0.66	57	66	0.73 (0.46–1.18)	0.76 (0.45–1.28)
Lived or worked on farms
African-Americans
DDE
<0.71	42	40	Referent	Referent
0.71 to <1.8	49	53	0.93 (0.51–1.68)	0.93 (0.49–1.77)
≥1.8	84	61	1.48 (0.82–2.68)	1.65 (0.86–3.17)
Whites
DDE
<0.30	61	43	Referent	Referent
0.30 to <0.66	53	58	0.68 (0.39–1.18)	0.74 (0.41–1.34)
≥0.66	77	64	0.99 (0.58–1.68)	1.19 (0.66–2.14)

^a Adjusted for age, age-squared, and race.
^b Adjusted for age, age-squared, race, menopausal status, BMI, parity/lactation, HRT use, and income.
^c p,p′-DDE in μg/g lipid.