title: Body mass index, agricultural pesticide use, and cancer incidence in the Agricultural Health Study cohort.
abstract: Obesity is associated with increased risks of several cancers including colon and female breast. Pesticide use in agricultural populations has also been linked with higher risks of various cancers. However, the interaction between obesity and pesticide use on cancer risk has not been well studied. Using data from the Agricultural Health Study, we examined the association between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of cancer at 17 sites and the interaction between BMI and pesticide use. Pesticide applicators residing in Iowa and North Carolina and their spouses were enrolled between 1993 and 1997 and given a self-administered questionnaire to obtain pesticide use and other information. This analysis included 39,628 men and 28,319 women with height and weight data who were cancer-free at enrollment. Among these participants, 4,432 were diagnosed with cancer between enrollment and 2005 and 64% were overweight or obese. BMI (per 1 kg/m(2)) was positively associated with colon cancer in men (hazard ratio (HR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.09) and breast cancer in postmenopausal women (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.06). In contrast, BMI was inversely associated with lung cancer in men, with a significant association in ever smokers (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.88-0.97) and a null association in never smokers. The positive association between BMI and colon cancer in men was significant in those who ever used carbofuran (HR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.04-1.17; p-interaction = 0.04) or metolachlor (HR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.15; p-interaction = 0.02) but was null in non-users of these pesticides. Among male ever smokers, the inverse association between BMI and lung cancer was significant in non-users of carbofuran (HR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.82-0.92) but was null in users of carbofuran (p-interaction = 0.02). These findings suggest that certain pesticides may modify the effects of BMI on the risks of colon and lung cancers.
authors: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, 6120 Executive Blvd., EPS 8011, MSC 7240, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. andreotg@mail.nih.gov
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: Andreotti
authors: Lifang
authors: L
authors: Hou
authors: Laura E
authors: LE
authors: Beane Freeman
authors: Rajeev
authors: R
authors: Mahajan
authors: Stella
authors: S
authors: Koutros
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Coble
authors: Jay
authors: J
authors: Lubin
authors: Aaron
authors: A
authors: Blair
authors: Jane A
authors: JA
authors: Hoppin
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Alavanja
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides