Testicular germ cell carcinoma (TGCC) is the most common malignancy among men ages 20 to 34 years. Although the
pathogenesis of TGCC is poorly understood, suboptimal
androgen levels or
impaired androgen signaling may play a role. Some persistent
organochlorine pesticides commonly found in
human tissue possess antiandrogenic properties. We examined whether the risk of TGCC is associated with serum levels of 11
organochlorine pesticides, including p,p'-DDE, and whether the p,p'-DDE-TGCC association is modified by CAG or GGN repeat polymorphisms in the
androgen receptor gene. We conducted a population-based
case-control study among 18- to 44-year-old male residents of three Washington State counties. Cases (n = 246) were diagnosed during 1999 to 2003 with a first, primary TGCC. Controls (n = 630) were men of similar age with no history of TGCC from the same population identified through random-digit telephone dialing. Questionnaires elicited information on demographic, medical, and lifestyle factors. A
blood specimen provided serum for
gas chromatography-high-resolution
mass spectrometry analysis of
organochlorine pesticide residues and
DNA for
genotyping. We observed no clear patterns between TGCC risk and concentrations of any of the
organochlorines measured, nor did we observe that the risk associated with p,p'-DDE was modified by
androgen receptor CAG (<23 versus >/=23 repeats) or GGN (<17 versus >/=17 repeats)
genotype. This study does not provide support for the hypothesis that adult exposure to
organochlorine pesticides is associated with risk of TGCC. Due to
uncertainty regarding how well
organochlorine levels measured in adulthood reflect exposures during early life, further research is needed using exposure measurements collected
in utero or during infancy. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(8):2012-8).
