Cancer and Pesticides
Exposure to pesticides is recognized as an important environmental risk factor associated with development of cancer. Epidemiological studies, although sometimes contradictory, have linked phenoxy acid herbicides with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS); organochlorine insecticides with STS, NHL, and leukemia; organophosphorous compounds with NHL and leukemia; and triazine herbicides with ovarian cancer. Exposure assessment is a crucial point in studying the association between cancer and pesticides.In order to investigate the association between hematolymphopoietic malignancies and occupational exposures, including pesticides, a population-based casecontrol study was carried out in Italy in 11 areas, 9 of which are agricultural or mixed areas. All newly diagnosed cases of hematolymphopoietic malignancies were collected in a 3-year period (19911993). The control group consisted of a random sample of the population residing in each area. The approach to infer exposures in agriculture was based o
pesticides non-hodgkin's lymphoma leukemia exposure assessment hematolymphopoietic malignancies multiple myeloma phenoxy herbicides