You are here:
USE OF AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES AND PROSTATE CANCER RISK IN THE AGRICULTURAL HEALTH STUDY COHORT
Citation:
Alavanja, M., C. Samanic, M. Dosemeci, J. H. Lubin, R. Tarone, C. Lynch, C. Knott, K W. Thomas, J. A. Hoppin, J. Barker, J. Coble, D. Sandler, AND A. Blair. USE OF AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDES AND PROSTATE CANCER RISK IN THE AGRICULTURAL HEALTH STUDY COHORT. Presented at International Conference on Pesticide Exposure and Health, Bethesda, MD, July 8-12, 2002.
Impact/Purpose:
The primary goal of the AHS Pesticide Exposure Study (AHS/PES) is to measure exposure to applied pesticides for a subset of the cohort of private pesticide applicators and to provide data to evaluate exposure algorithms developed for exposure classification in the study cohort.
Description:
The role of specific agricultural chemicals in relation to prostate cancer risk has not been firmly established due to the lack of precise exposure data. We examined the relationship 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 (SIR) was computed as were odds ratios for individual pesticides and for pesticide use patterns identified through factor analysis. A prostate cancer SIR, 1.18 (95% CI, 1.09-1.28), was observed for the cohort. Factor analysis showed that the use of chlorinated pesticides among applicators over 50 years of age was significantly associated with prostate cancer risk (p=0.005). Significant interaction odds ratios were observed between specific pesticides (butylate, chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, fonofos, permethrin, phorate) a family history of prostate cancer and prostate cancer risk. Pesticide applicators have a small but significantly higher rate of prostate cancer than the general population. Findings for use of chlorinated pesticides, methyl bromide, and pesticide-family history interactions are novel and need to be confirmed.
This work has been funded in part by the US EPA. It has been subjected to Agency review and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.