Pesticides Can Cause Prostate Cancer

Farmers have an unusually high risk of prostate cancer, likely due to their use of certain pesticides, according to a study.

The results confirm previous studies that have found associations between pesticide use and risk of prostate cancer among farmers.

Researchers analyzed 55,332 farmers and nursery workers who worked with pesticides in Iowa and North Carolina.

Among the participants, 566 new cases of prostate cancer developed between 1993 and 1999, compared to 495 that would normally be expected.

Compared to the general population, the farmers who used pesticides had a 14 percent greater risk of developing prostate cancer.

Six pesticides, chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, fonofos, phorate, permethrin and butylate, raised the prostate cancer risk in men with a history of the disease, while one pesticide, methyl bromide, raised the risk in all of the men.

About 30,000 U.S. men will die of prostate cancer this year and more than 220,000 will be diagnosed, according to the American Cancer Society. The largest risk factors for the disease include age and family history. Additionally, African-American men have higher rates of prostate cancer than other ethnicities.

Reuter's Health