Can molecular epidemiology help us better understand the environment's role in carcinogenesis? The example of pesticides

Abstract

Pesticides are widely dispersed in the environment and exposure to them is almost unavoidable, mainly through the food chain. During the peak period of its use, DDT was so ubiquitous that it could be detected in ice core samples taken in the Antarctic, even though it had never been used on that continent. Pesticides have been one of the most intensely studied of possible carcinogens in the environment.