CHILDHOOD-CANCER AND PATERNAL EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE - THE ROLE OFPESTICIDES

Previous studies have suggested that the offspring of men potentially exposed to pesticides at work may be at increased risk of kidney cance r (Wilms' tumour), brain tumours, Ewing's bone sarcoma anti acute leuk aemia. This paper examines the association between potential occupatio nal exposure of fathers to pesticides and offspring's, death from canc er in a large national database. Records for 167703 childhood deaths o ccurring during 1959-63, 1970-78 and 1979-90 in England and Wales have been analysed. Among the offspring of men with potential occupational exposure to pesticides there were 5270 deaths, of which 449 were due to cancer. Associations were assessed using proportional mortality rat ios (PMRs), with adjustment for age, year of death and paternal social class. Of the childhood cancers previously linked with potential pate rnal occupational exposure to pesticides, the only statistically signi ficant excess was for kidney cancer (PMR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.18-2.15, b ased on 42 deaths). Although these results offer some support for the suggestion that paternal occupational exposure to pesticides may be re lated to the subsequent development of kidney cancer in offspring, oth er explanations cannot be excluded. In the light of the findings prese nted here and elsewhere, further, more detailed, research into the nat ure of this relationship is warranted.