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Endocrine disruptors

DDT, endocrine disruption and breast cancer

Developmental exposure to endocrine disruptors is suspected to be one of the main factors responsible for the increased incidence of breast cancer in industrialized countries. New data published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism show that exposure to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane during fetal life is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

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Figure 1: Model of xenoestrogen induction of mammary gland carcinogenesis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Award Number R01ES08314. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences or the National Institutes of Health. The authors also acknowledge Cheryl Schaeberle for her excellent editorial assistance.

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Correspondence to Carlos Sonnenschein.

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Soto, A., Sonnenschein, C. DDT, endocrine disruption and breast cancer. Nat Rev Endocrinol 11, 507–508 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2015.125

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