A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF SELF-REPORTED EXPOSURES TO PESTICIDES AND PANCREAS CANCER IN SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN

A case-control study of pancreas cancer in residents, aged 30-79 years , of 18 counties in southeastern Michigan was conducted to investigate the risks of exposure to DDT and related materials in the general pop ulation. Sixty-six people with cytologically diagnosed pancreas cancer were identified using 7 participating hospitals in metropolitan Detro it and Ann Arbor. One hundred and thirty-one controls were frequency-m atched to the cases on age, sex, ethicity and county of residence by r andom-digit dialing. All study participants were administered a questi onnaire to assess life-time exposure to pesticides from both environme ntal and occupational sources, family history of cancer, past medical history, smoking history and demographic information. A statistically significant increased risk was found for self-reported exposure to eth ylan (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethane). Increased odds rat ios were observed for self-reported exposures to chloropropylate and D DT, as well as for the summary group of organochlorine pesticides whic h included all of these materials, though these associations were not significant. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.