FARMING, PESTICIDE USE AND HAIRY-CELL LEUKEMIA

Objectives This paper analyzes the role of farming and pesticide expos ures in the occurrence of hairy-cell leukemia (HCL). Methods The study included 226 men with HCL and 425 matched hospital referents. Pestici de exposure was assessed by expert review of detailed interview data o n occupational histories and agricultural activities and exposures. Re sults Altogether, 77 cases and 116 referents had farmed for at least s ix months, giving an odds ratio (OR) of 1.5 [95% confidence interval ( 95% CI) 1.0-2.2]. Forage growing was reported by 20.8% of the cases an d 11.1% of the referents and was associated with HCL (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1 .6-4.9), even among farmers who had never handled pesticides (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.0-11.0). A significant association was found between HCL and pesticide use, the overall odds ratios for insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide use ranging from 1.5 to 2.4. Organophosphorus insecticides were the only agrochemicals with a positive association with HCL after other pesticide exposures, smoking, and forage growing were accounted for. A clear-cut negative interaction was found between smoking and e xposure to organophosphorus insecticides. A multivariate analysis yiel ded odds ratio estimates of 2.8 (95% CI 1.4-5.6) for exposure to forag e and 7.5 (95% CI 0.9-61.5) for nonsmokers exposed to organophosphorus insecticides. Conclusions The present study argues for a role of orga nophosphorus insecticides in HCL among nonsmoking farmers and shows an unexpected association with forage growing. No evidence of an associa tion with phenoxyacetic acids, triazines, or organochlorine insecticid es was found.