Esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and the use of pesticides in the southwestern of Turkey.
BACKGROUND
Esophageal and gastric cancer generally have a poor prognosis and may share common risk factors. It has been demonstrated that the pesticide usage may contribute to development of many cancer types. In this study, the relation between amount of pesticides used in agriculture and esophageal and gastric cancer incidence was researched.


METHODS
Findings from the data bank of the Ministry of Health Provincial Health Directorate Cancer Records Center between the years of 1998-2010 were used. All patients who were diagnosed with gastric and esophageal cancer histopathologically were included. Data for annual pesticide usage were obtained from Provincial Agriculture Directorate for the same time period. Statistical analysis was performed using the Spearman test.


RESULTS
One thousand eight hundred and ninety-six patients were involved in the study, 1,233 males (65%) and 663 females (35%), 230 with esophageal cancer (12.1%) and 1,666 with gastric cancer (87.9%). No statistically significant relation was apparent between pesticide amount used and esophageal cancer (p: 0.87).


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, there was no relationship between pesticide usage and esophageal or gastric cancer. However, the time between pesticide usage and cancer development was not known, qualifying the comparison.
Department of Medical Oncology, Ministry of Health Batman Regional Govermant Hospital, Batman, Turkey E-mail : vildansimsir@yahoo.com.
Mustafa
M
Yildirim
Vildan
V
Kaya
Mustafa
M
Yildiz
Ozlem
O
Demirpence
Seyda
S
Gunduz
Utku Donem
UD
Dilli
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000383:Agriculture; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010575:Pesticides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D010575:Pesticides