Lung
In a nested case-control study, an increased risk of lung cancer was significantly associated with high exposure to chlorimuron ethyl (HR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.02-2.96), and a nonsignificant trend was found for pendimethalin (HR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.98-2.31) and dieldrin (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 0.70-5.30) compared with no exposure.29 There was no association with other pesticides.
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Melanoma
Higher melanoma incidence was significantly associated with high exposure to maneb/mancozeb (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.2-49), parathion (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3-4.4), and carbaryl (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.4).30 There was a dose-response relationship for all 3 pesticides (P ≤ .013 for all). Melanoma was not associated with 47 other pesticides.
Pancreatic
A nested case-control study found an increased risk for pancreatic cancer among applicators with high exposure of pendimethalin (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.3-7.2) and the thiocarbamate EPTC (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.1-5.4) compared with unexposed individuals, but no association was observed with other pesticides.31
Prostate
Aggressive prostate cancer was significantly more common among applicators with high exposure to the organophosphates fonofos (RR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.22-2.17), malathion (RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.08-1.88), and terbufos (RR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.02-1.64), and the organochlorine aldrin (RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.03-2.18) compared with individuals without exposure, all of which showed a dose-response relationship.32
Living in An Agricultural Area
Several studies evaluated the risk of cancer associated with living in a highly agricultural area or an area with higher pesticide use.
