Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Aug 24;15(9):1834. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15091834.
In the last decades, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased faster than that of any other malignant tumor type. The cause of thyroid cancer is likely multifactorial and a variety of both exogenous and endogenous has been identified as potential risk factors. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), used since the 1970s as flame retardants, are still widespread and persistent pollutants today, although their production was definitely phased out in the western countries several years ago. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers are known endocrine disruptors, and the endocrine system is their primary target. Whereas animal studies have ascertained the ability of PBDEs to affect the normal functionality of the thyroid, evidence in humans remains inconclusive, and only a few epidemiological studies investigated the association between exposure to PBDEs and thyroid cancer. However, a number of clues suggest that a prolonged exposure to these chemicals might act a trigger of the most common malignancy of the endocrine system, whereas further studies with an advanced design are suggested.
在过去的几十年中，甲状腺癌的发病率增长速度比任何其他恶性肿瘤类型都要快。甲状腺癌的病因可能是多因素的，已经确定了多种外源性和内源性因素作为潜在的危险因素。多溴联苯醚（PBDEs）自 20 世纪 70 年代以来一直被用作阻燃剂，尽管几年前西方国家已明确逐步淘汰其生产，但目前它们仍是广泛存在且具有持久性的污染物。多溴联苯醚是已知的内分泌干扰物，其主要作用目标是内分泌系统。虽然动物研究已经证实了 PBDEs 能够影响甲状腺的正常功能，但人类的证据仍不确定，只有少数流行病学研究调查了接触 PBDEs 与甲状腺癌之间的关联。然而，有一些线索表明，长时间暴露于这些化学物质可能会引发内分泌系统最常见的恶性肿瘤，因此建议进行更先进设计的进一步研究。
