[en] We determined the concentrations of 98 halogenated organic compounds and synthetic musks in breast fat tissues of 50 breast cancer patients (age range: 34–77 years) collected during 1996–1998 in Ulster County, New York, USA. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated biphenyl 153 (PBB-153), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and synthetic musk compounds (SMCs) were analyzed in breast fat tissues, and 46 analytes were found at a detection frequency of ≥ 65% and at concentrations in the decreasing order of OCPs > PCBs > SMCs > PBDEs > PBB-153. PCBs (median: 323 ng/g wet wt) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs, median: 293 ng/g wet wt) were the major compounds found in breast fat tissues. Among PCB congeners, hexa- and hepta-chlorobiphenyls (60% of total PCBs) were the abundant ones. p,p′-DDE accounted for more than 99% of the total DDT concentrations. The concentrations of SMCs and PBDEs were 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than those of PCBs and DDTs. 1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta-r-2-benzopyran (median: 33 ng/g wet wt) was the most abundant SMC, whereas BDE-47 (median: 4.5 ng/g wet wt) was the most dominant PBDE congener present in breast tissues. A significant correlation (p < 0.05) between women’s age and concentrations of DDTs, chlordanes, hexachlorobenzene and PCBs in breast tissues was found. Concentrations of PCBs, PBDEs, OCPs, and SMCs were not significantly different between malignant and benign tumor cases. This study adds baseline information on target tissue burdens of persistent organic contaminants in breast cancer patients. Graphical Abstract:

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[en] This study examined sex-specific patterns and temporal trends in the incidence of solid tumours in the Northern Region of England from 1968 to 2005. This updates earlier analyses from the region where sex was not considered in depth. Sex-specific analyses were carried out to determine whether sex differences might provide clues to aetiology. Details of 3576 cases, aged 0–24 years, were obtained from a specialist population-based cancer registry. There were 1843 males (886 aged 0–14 years and 957 aged 15–24 years) and 1733 females (791 aged 0–14 years and 942 aged 15–24 years). Age-standardized incidence rates (per million population) were calculated. Linear regression was used to analyze temporal trends in incidence and annual percentage changes were estimated. Analyses were stratified by sex and by age-group. There were marked differences in incidence patterns and trends between males and females and also between age-groups. For males central nervous system (CNS) tumours formed the largest proportion of under-15 cases and germ cell tumours was the largest group in the 15–24's, whilst for females CNS tumours dominated in the under-15's and carcinomas in the older group. For 0–14 year olds there were male-specific increases in the incidence of rhabdomyosarcoma (2.4% per annum; 95% CI: 0.2%–4.5%) and non-melanotic skin cancer (9.6%; 95% CI: 0.0%–19.2%) and female-specific increases for sympathetic nervous system tumours (2.2%; 95% CI: 0.4%–3.9%), gonadal germ cell tumours (8.6%; 95% CI: 4.3%–12.9%) and non-gonadal germ cell tumours (5.4%; 95% CI: 2.8%–7.9%). For 15–24 year olds, there were male-specific increases in gonadal germ cell tumours (1.9%; 95% CI: 0.3%–3.4%), non-gonadal germ cell tumours (4.4%; 95% CI: 1.1%–7.7%) and non-melanotic skin cancer (4.7%; 95% CI: 0.5%–8.9%) and female-specific increases for osteosarcoma (3.5%; 95% CI: 0.5%–6.5%), thyroid cancer (2.8%; 95% CI: 0.1%–5.6%) and melanoma (4.6%; 95% CI: 2.2%–7.1%). This study has highlighted notable differences between the sexes in incidence patterns and trends for solid tumours. Some of these sex-specific differences could have been obscured if males and females had been analysed together. Furthermore, they suggest aetiological differences or differential susceptibility to environmental factors between males and females

[en] The Windscale nuclear reactor fire at Sellafield, United Kingdom, in October 1957 led to an uncontrolled release of iodine-131 (radioactive half-life, 8 d) into the atmosphere. Contamination from the accident was most pronounced in the counties of Cumbria and Lancashire, north-west England. Radioiodine concentrates in the thyroid gland producing an excess risk of thyroid cancer, notably among those exposed as children, which persists into later life. For an initial investigation of thyroid cancer incidence in north-west England, data were obtained on cases of thyroid cancer among people born during 1929–1973 and diagnosed during 1974–2012 while resident in England, together with corresponding populations. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs), with Poisson 95% confidence intervals (CIs), compared thyroid cancer incidence rates in Cumbria and in Lancashire with those in the rest of England. For those aged  <20 years in 1958, a statistically significantly increased IRR was found for those diagnosed during 1974–2012 while living in Cumbria (IRR  =  1.29; 95% CI 1.09–1.52), but the equivalent IRR for Lancashire was marginally non-significantly decreased (IRR  =  0.91; 95% CI 0.80–1.04). This pattern of IRRs was also apparent for earlier births, and the significantly increased IRR in Cumbria extended to individuals born in 1959–1963, who would not have been exposed to iodine-131 from the Windscale accident. Moreover, significant overdispersion was present in the temporal distributions of the IRRs, so that Poisson CIs substantially underestimate statistical uncertainties. Consequently, although further investigations are required to properly understand the unusual patterns of thyroid cancer IRRs in Cumbria and Lancashire, the results of this preliminary study are not consistent with an effect of exposure to iodine-131 from the Windscale accident. (paper)

[en] The use of ionising radiation (IR) for medical diagnosis and treatment procedures has had a major impact on the survival of paediatric patients. Although the benefits of these techniques largely outweigh the risks, the evidence to date suggests that children are more sensitive than adults to the carcinogenic effects of IR. Therefore, there is a need to better understand the long-term health effects of such exposures in order to optimise treatment in these young patients and reduce the risk of late toxicities. HARMONIC aims to improve our understanding of the health effects of exposure to medical IR in children, specifically cancer patients treated with modern radiotherapy techniques, and cardiac patients treated with cardiac fluoroscopy procedures (CFP). HARMONIC also develops dosimetric data collection software tools to allow dose reconstruction in both CFP and radiotherapy. The project builds on a multi-disciplinary collaboration to investigate long-term outcomes (endocrine dysfunction, cardiovascular and neurovascular damage, quality of life (QoL) and social impacts, and secondary cancers) of paediatric cancer patients after the application of modern radiotherapy modalities. Instruments for harmonised demographic, clinical and dosimetric data collection were defined serving as a pilot phase for a future pan-European registry. The cardiac component of HARMONIC builds a pooled cohort of approximately 100,000 patients who underwent CFP in 7 countries, while aged under 22 years. The cohort, based on data collection from hospital records and/or insurance claims data, will be followed-up using national registries and insurance records to determine vital status and cancer incidence. Where available, information on organ transplantation (a major risk factor for cancer development in this patient group) and/or other conditions predisposing to cancer will be obtained from national or local registries and health insurance data. The relationship between estimated radiation dose and cancer risk will be investigated using regression modelling. With its prospective design and the creation of a biobank for the collection of biological samples, HARMONIC also aims at providing a mechanistic understanding of radiation-induced adverse health effects and identify potential biomarkers indicative of vascular adverse effects and secondary cancer. These biomarkers could ultimately contribute to early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of adverse effects. (authors)