18 Oct 2006 - Brussels/London
- A new paper concludes that hormone disrupting
chemicals (known as EDCs), may be a crucial factor
behind the current increase of breast cancer cases.
The paper, “Environmental contaminants and breast
cancer: the growing concerns about endocrine disrupting
chemicals”, has been written by Andreas Kortenkamp,
Head of Centre of Toxicology from the School of
Pharmacy at London University - an expert on EDC
cocktail effects - after WWF UK sought independent
scientific advice from him on the subject.
The paper states that less than
half of the new breast cancer cases diagnosed
can be explained by lifestyle factors and genetics.
It argues that the answer to these other increases
may lie in hormone disrupting chemicals, with
two key factors playing a significant role – first,
the “cocktail effect” which is seen when there
is simultaneous exposure to several oestrogen
mimicking chemicals and secondly, exposure to
the chemicals during critical periods, when baby
girls are in the womb or during puberty.
As Dr Kortenkamp explained:
“A recent study among Spanish women demonstrated
that breast cancer risk was associated with the
body burden of all estrogenic chemicals, excluding
the natural hormones. This is the first evidence
that chemicals in our environment, with oestrogenic
properties that are ‘accidental’, and not just
natural hormones or pharmaceutical oestrogens
may contribute to the development of breast cancer.”
The paper highlights the need
for strong legislation to control chemicals that
have hormone disrupting properties but which are
used in everyday products. These chemicals appear
in a wide range of products from baby bottles
and other plastics to cosmetics. EDCs have been
linked to many negative impacts on the health
of wildlife – especially in the Arctic – such
as impaired reproduction, hormone alterations
and cancer.
The EU is currently finalizing
a new chemicals law called REACH. WWF has been
pushing for REACH to deliver on its original aim:
to protect people and the environment from harmful
man-made chemicals.
Sandra Jen, Director of WWF’s
DetoX Campaign said: “The case for a strong REACH
has never been clearer. It would be an outrage
for European governments to gamble with the health
of their citizens by allowing endocrine disrupting
chemicals to continue to be used even where safer
alternatives are available. The European Parliament
has made it very clear that it wants to substitute
hazardous chemicals for safer alternatives and
EU ministers must now fully endorse this".
Noemi Cano, WWF DetoX Campaign Communications
Manager
Anthony Field, WWF-UK Press Office
