Cancer risk linked to pesticide exposure

Agricultural pesticide use patterns may be significantly associated with U.S. cancer incidence.

In a study published in Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society, investigators used data from the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Community Survey to examine the relationships between agricultural pesticide use, cancer incidence rates and sociodemographic factors in the United States. They included 69 pesticides and 3,143 counties in their analysis.

The investigators found that an estimated more than 150,000 additional cancer cases per year may have been attributable to differences in pesticide use patterns between the highest and lowest risk regions. They identified an increased risk of colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and lung cancer as a result of heightened pesticide use in regions such as the Great Plains, Midwest, Mississippi River Basin and the West Coast. The Midwest region — characterized by heavy corn production — consistently showed the highest added cancer risk across multiple cancer types.

Further, compared with cancer cases attributable to smoking, cancer cases attributable to pesticide exposure were higher among non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bladder cancer, leukemia and pancreatic cancer.

The investigators emphasized the need for communities to assess their pesticide use risks. The findings could inform policymakers in passing legislation to address pesticide use.

Read more: Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society

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