Studies concluding more research needed

A population-based case-control study of farming and breast cancer in North Carolina - We conclude that residence or work on farms may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Nevertheless, our results suggest a possible increased risk of breast cancer among a subgroup of farming women who were most likely to be exposed to pesticides.Duell EJ, Millikan RC, Savitz DA, Newman B, Smith JC, Schell MJ, Sandler DP.  Source Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599-7400, USA.

Aromatic amine pesticide use and human cancer risk: results from the U.S. Agricultural Health Study - The use of imazethapyr and other imidazolinone compounds should continue to be evaluated for potential risk to humans.Koutros S, Lynch CF, Ma X, Lee WJ, Hoppin JA, Christensen CH, Andreotti G, Freeman LB, Rusiecki JA, Hou L, Sandler DP, Alavanja MC. Source Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD 20852, USA. KoutrosS@mail.nih.gov

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder & Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides - These findings support the hypothesis that organophosphate exposure, at levels common among US children, may contribute to ADHD prevalence. Prospective studies are needed to establish whether this association is causal. Maryse F. Bouchard, PhDa,b, David C. Bellinger, PhDa,c, Robert O. Wright, MD, MPHa,d,e, Marc G. Weisskopf, PhDa,e,f 

Birth defects, season of conception, and sex of children born to pesticide applicators living in the Red River Valley of Minnesota, USA - These studies point out that (a) herbicides applied in the spring may be a factor in the birth defects observed and (b) fungicides can be a significant factor in the determination of sex of the children of the families of the RRV. Thus, two distinct classes of pesticides seem to have adverse effects on different reproductive outcomes. Biologically based confirmatory studies are needed. Vincent F Garry, Mary E Harkins, Leanna L Erickson, Leslie K Long-Simpson, Seth E Holland, and Barbara L Burroughs 

Cancer incidence among male pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study cohort exposed to diazinon - Because these results were based on small numbers, additional analyses are necessary as more cases accrue to clarify whether diazinon is associated with cancer risk in humans.Beane Freeman LE, Bonner MR, Blair A, Hoppin JA, Sandler DP, Lubin JH, Dosemeci M, Lynch CF, Knott C, Alavanja MC.  Source  Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD 20892, USA.

Cancer Incidence among Male Pesticide Applicators in the Agricultural Health Study Cohort Exposed to Diazinon - Although some evidence exists that diazinon is related to an increased risk of some cancers, there is a dearth of evidence about the possible association with many others.Beane Freeman LE, Bonner MR, Blair A, Hoppin JA, Sandler DP, Lubin JH, Dosemeci M, Lynch CF, Knott C, Alavanja MC. Source; Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD 20892, USA.

Cancer Incidence among Pesticide Applicators Exposed to Dicamba in the Agricultural Health Study - Although associations between exposure and lung and colon cancer were observed, we did not find clear evidence for an association between dicamba exposure and cancer risk.Samanic C, Rusiecki J, Dosemeci M, Hou L, Hoppin JA, Sandler DP, Lubin J, Blair A, Alavanja MC. Source Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland 20852, USA.

Developmental neurotoxicity of pyrethroid insecticides: critical review and future research needs - To better understand the potential for developmental exposure to pyrethroids to cause neurotoxicity, additional, well-designed and well-executed developmental neurotoxicity studies are needed. These studies should employ state-of-the-science methods to promote a greater understanding of the mode of action of pyrethroids in the developing nervous systemShafer TJ, Meyer DA, Crofton KM. Source Neurotoxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, USA. shafer.tim@epa.gov

Exposure to chemicals and metals and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review: - Although pesticide exposure was identified as candidate risk factor, more well-designed studies are needed to provide a definitive answer about exogenous factors of ALS.Sutedja NA, Veldink JH, Fischer K, Kromhout H, Heederik D, Huisman MH, Wokke JH, van den Berg LH. Source Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Farming, pesticide use and hairy-cell leukemia - The present study argues for a role of organophosphorus insecticides in HCL among nonsmoking farmers and shows an unexpected association with forage growing. No evidence of an association with phenoxyacetic acids, triazines, or organochlorine insecticides was found.Clavel J, Hémon D, Mandereau L, Delemotte B, Séverin F, Flandrin G.  Source Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (National Institute of Health and Medical Research), INSERM U170, Villejuif, France.

Farm-related exposures and childhood brain tumours in seven countries: results from the SEARCH International Brain Tumour Study - Our findings suggest that various farm-related exposures are positively associated with CBT and warrant further investigation into the public health importance of these associations. Efird JT, Holly EA, Preston-Martin S, Mueller BA, Lubin F, Filippini G, Peris-Bonet R, McCredie M, Cordier S, Arslan A, Bracci PM. Source Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94118, USA

Genetic modification of the association of paraquat and Parkinson's disease - Although replication is needed, our results suggest that PD risk from paraquat exposure might be particularly high in individuals lacking GSTT1. GSTT1*0 is common and could potentially identify a large subpopulation at high risk of PD from oxidative stressors such as paraquat.Goldman SM, Kamel F, Ross GW, Bhudhikanok GS, Hoppin JA, Korell M, Marras C, Meng C, Umbach DM, Kasten M, Chade AR, Comyns K, Richards MB, Sandler DP, Blair A, Langston JW, Tanner CM. Source  The Parkinson's Institute, Sunnyvale, California 94085, USA. sgoldman@thepi.org

Incident Diabetes and Pesticide Exposure among Licensed Pesticide Applicators: Agricultural Health Study, 1993–2003; Long-term exposure from handling certain pesticides, in particular, organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides, may be associated with increased risk of diabetes. - Long-term exposure from handling certain pesticides, in particular, organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides, may be associated with increased risk of diabetes.Montgomery MP, Kamel F, Saldana TM, Alavanja MC, Sandler DP. Source Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.

In utero pesticide exposure, maternal paraoxonase activity, and head circumference - Because small head size has been found to be predictive of subsequent cognitive ability, these data suggest that chlorpyrifos may have a detrimental effect on fetal neurodevelopment among mothers who exhibit low PON1 activity.Berkowitz GS, Wetmur JG, Birman-Deych E, Obel J, Lapinski RH, Godbold JH, Holzman IR, Wolff MS. Source; Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1172, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA. trudy.berkowitz@mssm.edu

Neurodegenerative Diseases and Exposure to Pesticides in the Elderly - These results suggest the presence of neurologic impairments in elderly persons who were exposed occupationally to pesticides. Isabelle Baldi1, Pierre Lebailly2, Brahim Mohammed-Brahim1, Luc Letenneur3, Jean-François Dartigues3 and Patrick Brochard1 

Occupational exposure to pesticides and risk of hematopoietic cancers: meta-analysis of case-control studies - A major limitation of our meta-analysis is the lack of sufficient data about exposure information and other risk factors for hematopoietic cancer (genetic predisposition, ethnic origin, immunodepression...). In addition, data concerning specific subtypes of hematopoietic cancers are often confusing. Thus, future epidemiological studies should undertake a major effort to assess the identity and the level of pesticides exposure and should control for the most likely potential confounders.Merhi M, Raynal H, Cahuzac E, Vinson F, Cravedi JP, Gamet-Payrastre L.; Source; UMR 1089 Xénobiotiques, INRA, 180 Chemin de Tournefeuille, Toulouse 31931, France. mmerhi@toulouse.inra.fr

Pesticide use and colorectal cancer risk in the Agricultural Health Study - Our findings should be interpreted cautiously since the literature suggesting that pesticides are related to colorectal cancer is limited. Nonetheless the possibility of an association between exposure to certain pesticides and incidence of colorectal cancer among pesticide applicators deserves further evaluation. Lee WJ, Sandler DP, Blair A, Samanic C, Cross AJ, Alavanja MC.  Source Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.

Residential proximity to agricultural pesticide applications and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia - Elevated ALL risk was associated with lifetime moderate exposure, but not high exposure, to certain physicochemical categories of pesticides, including organophosphates, chlorinated phenols, and triazines, and with pesticides classified as insecticides or fumigants. A similar pattern was also observed for several toxicological groups of pesticides. These findings suggest future directions for the identification of specific pesticides that may play a role in the etiology of childhood leukemia.Rull RP, Gunier R, Von Behren J, Hertz A, Crouse V, Buffler PA, Reynolds P.; Source Northern California Cancer Center, 2001 Center Street, Suite 700, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA. rrull@nccc.org