Publications Search

Abstract

Title: Cancer incidence among pesticide applicators exposed to permethrin in the Agricultural Health Study
Author: Rusiecki JA,Patel R,Koutros S,Beane Freeman L,Landgren O,Bonner MR,Coble J,Lubin J,Blair A,Hoppin JA,Alavanja MCR
Journal: Environ Health Perspect
Year: 2008
Month: September

Abstract: Abstract: Background: Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide widely used in agriculture, public health and in many U.S. homes and gardens. We evaluated the incidence of cancer among pesticide applicators exposed to permethrin in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort study of licensed pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina. Methods: A total of 49,372 pesticide applicators were included in this analysis. Detailed information on pesticide exposure and lifestyle factors was obtained from self-administered enrollment questionnaires completed in 1993-1997. Average length of follow-up was 9.14 years. Two permethrin exposure metrics were used: (1) lifetime days personally mixed or applied permethrin and (2) intensity weighted lifetime days (lifetime days weighted by estimated intensity of exposure). Poisson regression analysis was used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for malignancies by tertiles of exposure. Results: We found consistently elevated and statistically significant risks for multiple myeloma using both lifetime days (highest tertile: RR=5.72; 95%CI, 2.76-11.87; p-trend<0.001) and intensity weighted lifetime days (highest tertile: RR=5.308; 95%CI, 2.54-11.03; p-trend<0.001); results are based on only 15 exposed cases. These findings were similar across a variety of different exposure characterizations. We did not find associations between permethrin exposure and all malignant neoplasms combined, or with melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, or cancers of the colon, rectum, lung, or prostate. Conclusions: This study finds no association with most cancers analyzed. Although the suggested association with multiple myeloma was based on a small number of cases, it deserves further evaluation in the future.