Pancreatic cancer mortality and organochlorine pesticide exposure in California, 1989-1996.
BACKGROUND
Occupational studies have suggested a possible link between organochlorine pesticides and the occurrence of pancreatic cancers. California maintains a death file and a pesticide reporting system that allows examination of this relationship for residents of high use areas.


METHODS
We employed a mortality odds ratio design to compare deaths from pancreatic cancer (1989-1996) with a random sample of non-cancer deaths. Using pesticide data for three agricultural counties, we classified 102 ZIP codes in quartiles of pesticide usage for 1972-1989. Using logistic regression we estimated the effect of pesticide applications by ZIP code controlling for possible confounders.


RESULTS
Among long-term residents, pancreatic cancer mortality was elevated for those living in ZIP codes with the highest use of four pesticides: 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-d), captafol, pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), and dieldrin. No dose-response relationship was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests increased pancreatic cancer mortality among long-term residents in areas of high application rates of 1,3-d (an EPA-classified probable human carcinogen), captafol, pentacholoronitrobenzene (PCNB), and dieldrin.
Clary
Tim
T
United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for Global Health, USA.
Ritz
Beate
B
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004522:Educational Status; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D007306:Insecticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D007306:Insecticides