The prostate cancer risk associated with chlordecone exposure was higher in subjects with a family history of prostate cancer first-degree relatives. Moreover, the prostate cancer risk associated with chlordecone exposure was particularly marked in subjects who had spent some time living in a Western country. According to the authors, several explanations may be given:

"The interaction of family history with prostate cancer may be explained by the presence of genetic susceptibility factors which are common both to the disease and to the chlordecone metabolic pathway but also by similar patterns of exposure, shared by members of a same family".

"Migration constitutes a period of exposure to specific environmental risk factors, including hazardous chemicals or nutritional agents. Residing in Western countries may induce significant changes in an individual, due, for example, to the adoption of a Western lifestyle, including, in particular, eating habits that may be risk factors for prostate cancer"

These results are the first to suggest that there is a causal relationship between chlordecone exposure and prostate cancer risk, and support the hypothesis that environmental estrogens may be involved in the development of prostate cancer. Such a relationship may be affected by genetic background, together with environmental agents related to diet or lifestyle.

Source: INSERM (Institut national de la sant et de la recherche mdicale)