METAANALYSES OF PROSTATE-CANCER AND FARMING

Articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1983 and June 1994 were reviewed for inclusion in a meta-analysis designed to e stimate the relative risk of prostate cancer in farmers. Three analyse s were performed: (1) an analysis including all articles written durin g the specified time period that listed an estimate of the relative ri sk of prostate cancer in farmers; (2) an analysis that included only r etrospective studies; and (3) an analysis that included only studies r eporting a standardized mortality ratio. Positive associations between prostate cancer and farming were found by the analysis including all studies and the analysis limited to the retrospective studies. No asso ciation was found with the analysis that included only studies reporti ng a standard mortality ratio. The most plausible explanation for the positive association between prostate cancer and farming is exposure t o hormonally active agricultural chemicals. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.