Lifetime Swimming Pool Attendance and Cancer Risk: Findings from the Multicase-Control Study in Spain (MCC-Spain)

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Swimming in pools involves inhalation and skin absorption of potential carcinogenic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) as well as physical activity, which is protective for some cancer sites. We evaluated the association between lifetime pool attendance and the risk of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer in a multicase-control study that recruited 4,941 hospital-based cancer cases (1,724 breast, 2,111 colorectal, 1,106 prostate) and 4,039 population-based controls in Spain (2008-2013). Lifetime swimming pool attendance in summer (as a surrogate of outdoor pools) and the rest of the year (as a surrogate of indoor pools), socio-demographics, and lifestyle were ascertained in face-to-face interviews. Cancer risk associated with pool attendance markers was estimated using linear mixed-effect models, adjusting for covariates with recruitment area as a random effect. Participants reporting lifetime pool attendance compared to those who did not showed lower odds of breast and colorectal cancer (approximately 5% lower risk). Swimming more than 10 times/month did not increase the protective association. For breast and colorectal cancer, only pool attendance outside the summer months was associated with a lower risk, whereas it was associated with increased prostate cancer risk. Findings suggest that lifetime swimming in pools may reduce breast cancer and colorectal cancer risk despite DBP exposure. These novel findings require replication.

Source: Environmental Science & Technology

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c06488

Authors: Carolina Donat-Vargas, Miquel Vallbona-Vistós, Gemma Castaño-Vinyals, Víctor Moreno, Nuria Aragonés, Elena Boldo, Antonio José Molina de la Torre, Inés Gómez-Acebo, Marcela Guevara, Ana Jiménez Zabala, Pilar Amiano, Ana Molina-Barceló, Guillermo Fernández-Tardón, Maria Dolores Chirlaque, Marina Pollán, Manolis Kogevinas, Cristina M. Villanueva

Institutions: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Karolinska Institutet, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Municipal Institute for Medical Research, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Institut d'Investigació Biomédica de Bellvitge, Institut Català d'Oncologia, Universidad de León, Universidad de Cantabria, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Instituto de Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla, Instituto de Salud Pública de Navarra, Navarre Institute of Health Research, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria, Universidad de Murcia

Language: English

Topic: Water Treatment and Disinfection

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,500

Funders: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Centres de Recerca de Catalunya, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, European Commission, Fundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, Generalitat de Catalunya, Karolinska Institutet, Universidad de Murcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Universidad de Cantabria, Universidad de Oviedo, Instituto de Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana, Fundación Marqués de Valdecilla, Sixth Framework Programme, Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, European Regional Development Fund, Conselleria de Sanitat Universal i Salut Pública

OpenAlex ID: W4415820622