INCIDENCE AND RISK-FACTORS OF CANCER AMONG MEN AND WOMEN IN NORWEGIANAGRICULTURE

Objectives The objective of the study was to examine cancer incidence and identify risk factors among subjects born in 1925-1971 and engaged in agricultural activities in Norway. Methods A cohort was establishe d through linkage between agricultural censuses in 1969-1989 and the C entral Population Register, which identifies Farm holders and their sp ouses. Available census information on the activity of the farm provid ed the exposure indicators. Incident cancer in 1969-1991 was identifie d in the Cancer Register. In an analysis for standardized incidence ra tios (SIR), the cohort was compared with the total rural population of Norway. Associations with exposure indicators were investigated in a Poisson regression analysis. Results In the follow-up of 136 463 men f or 1.5 million person-years and 109 641 women for 0.6 million person-y ears, 3333 and 2145 cancer cases were identified, respectively. The su bset defined as farmers had an SIR of 77 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 73-81] for the men and 92 (95% CI 85-99) for the women, with part icularly low SLR values for lung cancer and other sites linked to life -style. The several positive associations found confirmed the a priori hypothesis of an association between dairy farming and acute leukemia among men [rate ratio 1.76, 95% CI 1.02-3.05]. Multiple myeloma was a ssociated with pesticide indicators for both genders, mainly for subje cts cultivating potatoes. Conclusions The results support the hypothes is of a relationship between acute leukemia and animal contact and bet ween multiple myeloma and pesticides in potato cultivation. Other expo sure associations, especially for cancer among women, warrant further investigation.