Use of agricultural pesticides and prostate cancer risk in the Agricultural Health Study cohort.
The authors examined the relation between 45 common agricultural pesticides and prostate cancer incidence in a prospective cohort study of 55,332 male pesticide applicators from Iowa and North Carolina with no prior history of prostate cancer. Data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires completed at enrollment (1993-1997). Cancer incidence was determined through population-based cancer registries from enrollment through December 31, 1999. A prostate cancer standardized incidence ratio was computed for the cohort. Odds ratios were computed for individual pesticides and for pesticide use patterns identified by means of factor analysis. A prostate cancer standardized incidence ratio of 1.14 (95% confidence interval: 1.05, 1.24) was observed for the Agricultural Health Study cohort. Use of chlorinated pesticides among applicators over 50 years of age and methyl bromide use were significantly associated with prostate cancer risk. Several other pesticides showed a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer among study subjects with a family history of prostate cancer but not among those with no family history. Important family history-pesticide interactions were observed.
Alavanja
Michael C R
MC
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD 20892, USA. alavanjm@mail.nih.gov
Samanic
Claudine
C
Dosemeci
Mustafa
M
Lubin
Jay
J
Tarone
Robert
R
Lynch
Charles F
CF
Knott
Charles
C
Thomas
Kent
K
Hoppin
Jane A
JA
Barker
Joseph
J
Coble
Joseph
J
Sandler
Dale P
DP
Blair
Aaron
A
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000145:classification; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D010575:Pesticides