Journal or Publishing Institution: Environmental Health Perspectives
Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920083/
Author(s): Weichenthal, S., Moase, C. and Chan, P.
Article Type: Journal Publication
Record ID: 1132
Abstract: We reviewed epidemiologic evidence related to occupational pesticide exposures and cancer incidence in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) cohort. Studies were identified from the AHS publication list available at http://aghealth.nci.nih.gov as well as through a Medline/PubMed database search in March 2009. We also examined citation lists. Findings related to lifetime-days and/or intensity-weighted lifetime-days of pesticide use are the primary focus of this review, because these measures allow for the evaluation of potential exposure–response relationships. We reviewed 28 studies; most of the 32 pesticides examined were not strongly associated with cancer incidence in pesticide applicators. Increased rate ratios (or odds ratios) and positive exposure–response patterns were reported for 12 pesticides currently registered in Canada and/or the United States (alachlor, aldicarb, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dicamba, S-ethyl-N,N-dipropylthiocarbamate, imazethapyr, metolachlor, pendimethalin, permethrin, trifluralin). However, estimates of association for specific cancers were often imprecise because of small numbers of exposed cases, and clear monotonic exposure–response patterns were not always apparent. Exposure misclassification is also a concern in the AHS and may limit the analysis of exposure–response patterns. Epidemiologic evidence outside the AHS remains limited with respect to most of the observed associations, but animal toxicity data support the biological plausibility of relationships observed for alachlor, carbaryl, metolachlor, pendimethalin, permethrin, and trifluralin. Continued follow-up is needed to clarify associations reported to date. In particular, further evaluation of registered pesticides is warranted.
Keywords: Agricultural Health Study, cancer, pesticides, review, man, alachlor, aldicarb, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dicamba, disease incidence, epidemiology, exposure, human diseases, imazethapyr, metolachlor, neoplasms, occupational hazards, occupational health, pendimethalin, permethrin, pesticides, reviews, trifluralin, pyrethroids, agricultural workers, cancers, chlorpyrifos-ethyl, penoxalin, United States of America, Canada, Ontario, USA, Homo, Hominidae, primates, mammals, vertebrates, Chordata, animals, eukaryotes, APEC countries, Commonwealth of Nations, Developed Countries, North America, America, OECD Countries, Canada, Pesticides, Chemical hazards, Cancer incidence, Dose response relationship, Lung neoplasms, Environmental agencies, Non Hodgkin lymphoma, Questionnaires
Citation: Weichenthal, S., Moase, C. and Chan, P., 2010. A review of pesticide exposure and cancer incidence in the Agricultural Health Study cohort. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(8), p.1117.
