[Is there an association between cancer mortality and agrotoxics use? A contribution to the debate].
The chronic use of agrotoxics in rural regions of Rio Grande do Sul State (RS) has been tentatively associated to a possible increase in the incidence of cancer in rural areas. A time-trend ecological study was performed in the micro region of Ijuí County (MI), in RS and Brazil, with data of the 1979 to 2003 period. Data was collected from the Mortality Information System, Brazilian Ministry of Health (DATASUS), to evaluate the cancer mortality rate, standardized by gender and age - corrected mortality ratios. Linear regression for mortality time-trend analysis and multiple regressions for mortality differences among three regions were calculated. The highest average mortality rate in men and also women were observed in RS and MI and they were significantly higher (p<0,001) than the one for Brazil. When the model was adjusted for three regions the upward trend on mortality remained the same. This data suggests that the relation between chronic use of agrotoxics and cancer cannot be denied and should be further investigated.
Jobim
Paulo Fernandes Costa
PF
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS. pjobim@uol.com.br
Nunes
Luciana Neves
LN
Giugliani
Roberto
R
da Cruz
Ivana Beatrice Manica
IB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016573:Agrochemicals / Q000633:toxicity*; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality*; D055815:Young Adult
D016573:Agrochemicals