Childhood Cancer and Leukemia

HOUSEHOLD EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES AND RISK OF CHILDHOOD HEMATOPOIETIC MALIGNANCIES: THE ESCALE STUDY (SFCE). Rudant, J., et al.,

Environmental Health Perspectives,115(12):1787-1793 (2007) http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/10596/10596.html

This large study included a total of 764 cases of acute leukemia (AL), 130 of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), 166 of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and 1,681 controls. Results found household usage of pesticides plays a role in the etiology of childhood hematopoietic malignancies. Insecticide use during pregnancy was significantly associated with childhood leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and mixed-cell Hodgkin lymphoma. The authors conclude it is probably advisable to prevent pregnant women from using pesticides due to the potential for producing childhood cancers.

HOME PESTICIDE USE AND CHILDHOOD CANCER: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY. Leiss, J., et al.,

American Journal of Public Health, 85:249-252 (1995) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1615305/

This study by J. Leiss et al. published in the American Journal of Public Health indicates a strong correlation between household pesticides usage with certain childhood cancers: leukemia, brain tumors, lymphomas and soft tissue sarcomas. The use of pest strips, yard treatments and home exterminations were considered during three exposure periods: the last three months of pregnancy, birth through two years of age and exposure two years prior to prognosis. In particular, yard treatments were strongly associated with soft tissue sarcomas following birth and preceding diagnosis. The most likely pesticides used in yard treatments were carbaryl, 2,4-D and Diazinon. Pest strips using the insecticide Dichlorvos showed consistent relation to leukemia and brain tumors.

AGRICULTURAL PESTICIDE USE IN CALIFORNIA: PESTICIDE PRIORITIZATION, USE DENSITIES, AND POPULATION DISTRIBUTIONS FOR A CHILDHOOD CANCER STUDY. Gunier RB et al.

Environmental Health Perspectives 109(10):1071-8 (2001) http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.011091071

The Environmental Health Investigations Branch has developed a method to calculate pesticide exposure in humans based on location. Applying pesticide-use amounts into a GIS system has enabled researchers to observe exposure per year in census blocks. With data from 1991, high amounts of childhood exposure can be observed and potentially linked to childhood cancer.