Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, and exposures in agriculture: results from the Italian multicenter case-control study.
BACKGROUND
The etiology of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and leukemia is still largely unknown, but exposure to chemicals, in particular pesticides, has been suggested to be a risk factor.


METHODS
A large population-based case-control study was conducted in Italy with the aim of investigating the associations between pesticide exposure and NHL, and solvents and leukemia. Data presented in this article refer to 1,575 interviewed cases and 1,232 controls in the nine agricultural study areas.


RESULTS
Exposure to nitro-derivatives and phenylimides among fungicides, hydrocarbon derivatives and insecticide oils among insecticides, and the herbicide amides are the chemical classes observed to be associated with the pathologies under investigation.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the case-control study suggest an increased risk for NHL and leukemia, and some chemical classes of pesticides, although few are statistically significant and some are based on few exposed cases. The results also show that men and women experience both similar and different risks for the same environmental agricultural exposures. Am. J. Ind. Med. 44:627-636, 2003.
Miligi
Lucia
L
Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology Unit, Center for Study and Prevention of Cancer, Florence, Italy. l.miligi@cspo.it
Costantini
Adele Seniori
AS
Bolejack
Vanessa
V
Veraldi
Angela
A
Benvenuti
Alessandra
A
Nanni
Oriana
O
Ramazzotti
Valerio
V
Tumino
Rosario
R
Stagnaro
Emanuele
E
Rodella
Stefania
S
Fontana
Arabella
A
Vindigni
Carla
C
Vineis
Paolo
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007938:Leukemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012997:Solvents / Q000009:adverse effects
D010575:Pesticides; D012997:Solvents