Menu
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Healthy Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Diets & Nutrition - Food Safety
    Nutrition
    healthy nutrition
    Recipes
    healthy recipes
    Featured Articles
    • Diets & Weight Loss
      Dr. Weil’s Guide To Popular Diets
    • Nutrition
      Is Corn Good For You?
    • Videos
      How To Eat The Anti-Inflammatory Diet
    • Nutrition
      Too Many Eggs?
    • Recipes
      Good Earth Kale Cobb
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    herbal remedies - herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    suppliments & remedies
    Vitamins
    ask-dr-weil_vitamins-supplements-herbs_vitamins-topnav
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    The Legacy Of Living Yes | Spontaneous Happiness | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Health Tips
    Healthy Drinks To Start Sipping | Andrew Weil, M.D.
    Spontaneous Happiness
    blog_spontaneous-happiness_topnav
  • COVID-19
  • Dr. Andrew Weil For Origins
  • Shop
  • Healthy Aging
  • Podcasts
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Subscribe
Breast Cancer And DDT?
Subscribe
Press "Enter" to search
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Body, Mind & Spirit
  4. Cancer

Breast Cancer And DDT?

I understand that exposure to DDT can cause breast cancer. How so? I thought it was banned decades ago.

Andrew Weil, M.D. | May 6, 2019

Breast Cancer And DDT? | Cancer | Andrew Weil, M.D.
2 min

For many years, the insecticide DDT was widely sprayed throughout the U.S. to reduce insect damage to crops. It still is used in some parts of the world to help control malaria. DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1972, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still exposed to it. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DDT has been found in snow and in the body tissues of animals in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, far from where it was ever used.

The latest findings show that women in the U.S. exposed to high levels of DDT early in life are at increased risk of breast cancer through age 54. Women born before DDT was banned could not have avoided exposure – they would have come into contact with it via dust and food.

A study published in February (2019) found that women exposed to DDT before age 14, particularly in infancy and early childhood, were most likely to develop breast cancer before menopause. Those exposed after infancy were at increased risk of developing breast cancer between the ages of 50 to 54. The study authors wrote that many women and girls in the United States were exposed to DDT in the middle of the 20th century when the pesticide was widely used and that the youngest of these women are now reaching the ages of increased breast cancer risk. The study found that the period of time between a woman’s first exposure to DDT and her greatest breast cancer risk is approximately 40 years.

The highest risk for premenopausal breast cancer is in women whose first DDT exposure occurred before age 3, although exposure through puberty (until the age of 14) is also associated with increased risk. Those exposed after age 14 are At increased risk of developing breast cancer after menopause.

The researchers followed 15,528 women participating in the non-profit Public Health Institute’s Child Health and Development Studies for nearly six decades. The team tracked the women’s age at first DDT exposure, their DDT levels during pregnancy, and the age when breast cancer was diagnosed. To determine levels of DDT exposure, they analyzed stored blood samples that had been collected from 1959 to 1967 during the women’s pregnancies at each trimester and early after childbirth. They used state records to identify 153 cases of breast cancer diagnosed from 1970 to 2010 in women age 50-54. They then matched each of these cases with comparable women who did not develop cancer.

Lead author Barbara A. Cohn, Ph.D., notes that while almost everyone has been exposed to DDT, only some develop cancer. We do not know why.

Here’s where you can learn more about breast cancer and my advice on how to reduce your risk.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Source:
Barbara A. Cohn et al, “DDT and Breast Cancer: Prospective Study of Induction Time and Susceptibility Windows.” JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, February 13, 2019; DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djy198

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

How Does Sleep Affect Breast Cancer Risk | QA | Andrew Weil M.D.
Sleep Issues

How Does Sleep Affect Breast Cancer Risk?

eating to avoid breast cancer
Women

Eating To Avoid Breast Cancer?

Advertisement
Related Weil Products

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging for Fitness

It’s never too late to get fit! Promote a healthy weight, increase your energy, encourage better rest and feel great with a regular exercise program designed for your needs and capabilities. The Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging online plan has all you need – sign up today and get 14 days free!
Get Started
Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Trending Now

3-d mammograms
Cancer

3-D Mammograms?

a better test for breast cancer
Cancer

A Better Test For Breast Cancer?

HDL Cholesterol & LDL Cholesterol: What They Mean | Heart Health | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Cancer

A Blood Test for Breast Cancer?

a test for ovarian cancer
Cancer

A Test for Ovarian Cancer?

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil - Get Free Newsletters Right In Your Inbox

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Information
  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage Email Subscription
Trending Articles
3-d mammograms
Cancer

3-D Mammograms?

a better test for breast cancer
Cancer

A Better Test For Breast Cancer?

Daily Tips
7 Natural Ways To Address Frequent Heartburn | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Health Tips

7 Natural Ways To Address Frequent Heartburn

7 Foods For Aging Gracefully | Health Tips | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Health Tips

7 Foods For Aging Gracefully

  • Flickr
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

©Copyright 2021 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com