|
Farmers have an unusually high risk of prostate cancer, likely
due to their use of certain pesticides, according to a study.
The results confirm previous studies that have found associations
between pesticide use and risk of prostate cancer among farmers.
Researchers analyzed 55,332 farmers and nursery workers who
worked with pesticides in Iowa and North Carolina.
Among the participants, 566 new cases of prostate cancer
developed between 1993 and 1999, compared to 495 that would
normally be expected.
Compared to the general population, the farmers who used
pesticides had a 14 percent greater risk of developing prostate
cancer.
Six pesticides, chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, fonofos, phorate,
permethrin and butylate, raised the prostate cancer risk in
men with a history of the disease, while one pesticide, methyl
bromide, raised the risk in all of the men.
About 30,000 U.S. men will die of prostate cancer this year
and more than 220,000 will be diagnosed, according to the
American Cancer Society. The largest risk factors for the
disease include age and family history. Additionally, African-American
men have higher rates of prostate cancer than other ethnicities.
Reuter's Health May 1,
2003
| 