Agriculture
This prospective cohort of about 90,000 commercial pesticide applicators, farmers and farmers' spouses is being conducted in Iowa and North Carolina. It is a collaborative project involving the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project includes interviews to obtain information on agricultural practices, lifestyle factors, diseases and medications; monitoring of pesticide exposures on a sample of farms; and collection of biologic tissues from buccal swabs. The cohort will be periodically re-interviewed to obtain updated information and it will be linked to the National Death Index and tumor registries in the two states to obtain information on disease occurrence. Collaborative ventures with extramural investigators are encouraged. More information, Michael Alavanja
Case-control Studies of Brain, Esophagus, and Stomach Cancer
Despite a more favorable overall mortality experience than the general population, farmers tend to experience excesses for cancers of the lip, stomach, brain, skin, connective tissue, prostate, and lymphatic and hematopoietic system. Case-control studies of brain and stomach have been conducted among men and women in Nebraska in collaboration with the University of Nebraska Medical School to determine what, if any, agricultural exposures or lifestyle factors might account for these excesses among farmers. More information, Mary Ward, Aaron Blair, or Joanne Colt
Pooled Analysis of Studies of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Data from case-control studies of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among men from Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska have been pooled to create a large resource to evaluate potential risks from pesticide and other exposures. The pooled data set contains detailed information on pesticide use and other factors for 1,000 cases and 3,000 controls. More information, Aaron Blair and Ken Cantor
Herbicide Exposure and Biologic Effects
Several, but not all, epidemiologic studies have noted an association between exposure to the herbicide 2,4-D and the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 2,4-D does not appear to cause cancer in laboratory animals and has not been demonstrated to clearly damage genetic material in experimental investigations. The association with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma suggests the possibility of a mechanism involving the immune system. A collaborative study with the University of Kansas Medical School of 30 2,4-D applicators and 10 nonapplicators in Kansas is designed to evaluate this possibility. Bloods and urines were taken before, during and after the herbicide application season to evaluate the possible association between urinary levels of 2,4-D and several biologic parameters. More information, Nathaniel Rothman and Aaron Blair
