A study in The Lancet (12/5) reports the discontinued pesticide dieldrin was associated with a 100 percent increased risk of breast cancer in a study of 7,712 women followed for 19 years.
But hold the presses.
This study suffers from that little ol' problem in epidemiology known as "multiple comparisons." That is, if enough statistical associations are calculated, some will be positive just by chance.
In this study, serum samples from 240 women with breast cancer and 477 controls were tested for the presence of 46 pesticides and PCBs.
Of these 46 tests, only the test for dieldrin produced a statistically significant, albeit weak, association with breast cancer.
At a 5 percent error level, just by chance, one would expect at least 2 such associations.
But why am I not surprised that the researchers overlooked this detail? The lead researcher, Dr. Annette Hoyer, is a plastic surgeon!
Also of note, the study found no association between PCBs and DDT, and breast cancer. That doesn't say much for the biological plausibility of dieldrin being associated with breast cancer.
Click here for AP coverage of this junk science.
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