A study was published recently that looked at the incidence of different kinds of cancer among people who professionally apply pesiticides in an agricultural setting.
The results of the study indicate, interestingly enough, that the overall risk of cancer in pesticide applicators is lower than in the general population. The risk is higher, however, for certain cancers, including multiple myeloma.
I can't go into a lot more detail about the study results because the article is not open access.
Here is the reference, abstract, and some information about the study that is the source of the data analyzed in the study.
Reference
Lerro, CC, et al, "Cancer incidence in the Agricultural Health Study after 20 years of follow-up," Cancer Causes & Control, February 25, 2019 (abstract)
Abstract
Purpose - To evaluate cancer incidence in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), a cohort of private pesticide applicators, their spouses, and commercial applicators, based on 12,420 cancers, adding 5,989 cancers, and 9 years of follow-up since last evaluation.
Methods - We calculated age, year, sex, and race-adjusted standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for cancer sites in the AHS relative to the general population.
Results - Overall AHS cancer incidence was lower than the general population (SIRprivate = 0.91, CI 0.89–0.93; SIRspouse = 0.89, CI 0.86–0.92; SIRcommercial = 0.83, CI 0.76–0.92), with notable deficits across applicators and spouses for oral cavity, pancreas, and lung cancers. Cancer excesses included prostate cancer, lip cancer, certain B-cell lymphomas (e.g., multiple myeloma), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), thyroid cancer, testicular cancer, and peritoneal cancer. The lung cancer deficit was strongest among applicators reporting potential exposure to endotoxin at study enrollment (tasks such as raising animals and handling stored grain).
Conclusions - Although an overall deficit in cancer was observed, there were notable exceptions, including newly observed excesses for AML, thyroid, testicular, and peritoneal cancers. Furthermore, endotoxin exposure may, in part, account for observed lung cancer incidence deficits. Cancer incidence patterns in the AHS suggest farm exposures’ relevance to cancer etiology.
About the Agricultural Health Study
The Agricultural Health Study (AHS) is a prospective study of cancer and other health outcomes in a cohort of licensed pesticide applicators and their spouses from Iowa and North Carolina. The AHS began in 1993 with the goal of answering important questions about how agricultural, lifestyle and genetic factors affect the health of farming populations. The study is a collaborative effort involving investigators from National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
More than 89,000 farmers and their spouses in Iowa and North Carolina have participated in the study. Their participation has provided, and continues to provide, the data that researchers need to help the current and future generations of farmers and their families live healthier lives.
More information about the study is available at this page.
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Re: Pesticide exposure & multiple myeloma
Thank you for posting this. It is extremely timely and interesting. In July 2018 I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. I work in a law firm whose offices are in the basement of a courthouse. Ever since we moved in in 1992, the offices where I work have flooded profusely. I'm not talking a drop here or there ...
Above our office is the public entrance to the courthouse. There are massive planters and last year it was discovered that the leaks are coming from those planters. So for 25 years chemicals in the soils have been leaking into our office, flooding carpets, cubicles, walls and ceiling tiles. Nothing ever got cleaned, just dried.
It is noteworthy that we employ about 130 people at any given time. I am aware of 2 other multiple myeloma patients from the same office, in addition to me. This article is a helpful point from which to begin an analysis. Thanks again!
Above our office is the public entrance to the courthouse. There are massive planters and last year it was discovered that the leaks are coming from those planters. So for 25 years chemicals in the soils have been leaking into our office, flooding carpets, cubicles, walls and ceiling tiles. Nothing ever got cleaned, just dried.
It is noteworthy that we employ about 130 people at any given time. I am aware of 2 other multiple myeloma patients from the same office, in addition to me. This article is a helpful point from which to begin an analysis. Thanks again!
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