Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
659132 
Journal Article 
Review 
Pesticides and childhood cancer 
Zahm, SH; Ward, MH 
1998 
Yes 
Environmental Health Perspectives
ISSN: 0091-6765
EISSN: 1552-9924 
BIOSIS/98/23605 
106 
Suppl 3 
893-908 
English 
Children are exposed to potentially carcinogenic pesticides from use in homes, schools, other buildings, lawns and gardens, through food and contaminated drinking water, from agricultural application drift, overspray, or off-gassing, and from carry-home exposure of parents occupationally exposed to pesticides. Parental exposure during the child's gestation or even preconception may also be important. Malignancies linked to pesticides in case reports or case-control studies include leukemia, neuroblastoma, Wilms' tumor, soft-tissue sarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and cancers of the brain, colorectum, and testes. Although these studies have been limited by nonspecific pesticide exposure information, small numbers of exposed subjects, and the potential for case-response bias, it is noteworthy that many of the reported increased risks are of greater magnitude than those observed in studies of pesticide-exposed adults, suggesting that children may be particularly sensitive to the carcinogenic effects of pesticides. Future research should include improved exposure assessment, evaluation of risk by age at exposure, and investigation of possible genetic-environment interactions. There is potential to prevent at least some childhood cancer by reducing or eliminating pesticide exposure. 
Brain Neoplasms/chemically induced; Carcinogens/*classification; Case-Control Studies; Child; Cohort Studies; Disease Susceptibility; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects/classification/statistics &; numerical data; Female; Humans; Leukemia/chemically induced; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/chemically induced; Male; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects/statistics & numerical data; Neoplasms/*chemically induced/epidemiology; Neuroblastoma/chemically induced; Paternal Exposure/adverse effects/statistics & numerical data; Pesticides/*adverse effects/classification; Research Design/standards; Sarcoma/chemically induced; United States/epidemiology; Wilms Tumor/chemically induced; World Health 
IRIS
• Arsenic Hazard ID
     1. Initial Lit Search
          ToxNet
     3. Initial Filter through Oct 2015
          Reviews
• Arsenic (Inorganic)
     2. Initial Filter
          Reviews
• 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane
     Litsearch 2018
          Toxline
• Formaldehyde [archived]
     Reproductive and Developmental Effects
          Screened
               Title/abstract
                    Not developmental/reproductive
     Human Cancer Studies
          Found
          Screened
               Not Relevant
                    Secondary
     Retroactive RIS import
          Pre2013
               HCHO 2013 Cancer Epi (2017 Criteria)
          2015
               FA DevRepro 072115
                    Not Dev/Repro-Outcome Criteria
                         Not Dev/Repro-Outcome Criteria
• IRIS Formaldehyde (Inhalation) [Final 2024]
     Literature Indexing
          Other sources and cited references
     Literature Identification
          Reproductive and Developmental Effects
               Excluded
          Cancer in Humans
               Excluded