Farming, growing up on a farm, and haematological cancer mortality

Mannetje, Andrea ’t; Eng, Amanda; Pearce, Neil

doi:10.1136/oem.2011.065110

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(32 reference statements)

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“…We found that future risk of NHL was decreased among individuals reporting allergy symptoms at baseline, in particular for CLL/SLL and MM; these findings support the hypothesis that altered immunologic response to allergens may play a role in the etiology of lymphoid malignancies (11). We also observed an increased risk of NHL among those who grew up on a farm, which is consistent with one prior report on hematological cancer mortality in New Zealand (21). Given that early life farm exposures have been linked to a reduced burden of allergic disease that persists into adulthood, we speculate that the allergy-suppressive immunomodulatory effects of early life farm exposures might underlie this association with NHL risk.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Farm Characteristics, Allergy Symptoms, and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoid Neoplasms in the Agricultural Health Study

Hofmann

Hoppin

Lynch

et al. 2015

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &Amp; Prevention

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Background Because of unique exposures, studies among farmers may yield insights into the relationship between allergies and non-Hodgkin lymphoid neoplasms (NHL). We evaluated farm characteristics, allergic symptoms and conditions, and risk of NHL including specific subtypes in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort of farmers and spouses from North Carolina and Iowa. Methods We identified 710 incident cases of NHL (including chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma) among 82,370 participants with baseline data on crop and animal exposures, including 454 cases among 52,850 participants with baseline data on recent allergy symptoms (rhinitis) and living on a farm during childhood. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using multivariable-adjusted proportional hazards models. Results We observed reduced risks of NHL among farmers and spouses with rhinitis at baseline (HR=0.63, 95% CI=0.51–0.79), related to growing soybeans (HR=0.80, 95% CI=0.67–0.96), and among farmers who handled stored grains or hay (HR=0.66, 95% CI=0.52–0.82). Growing up on a farm was associated with increased NHL risk (HR=1.51, 95% CI=1.15–1.98). Results did not differ significantly by NHL subtype. Conclusions Both the reduced risk of NHL among those with allergy symptoms and specific farm exposures in adulthood, and the increased risk among those who grew up on a farm suggest that the host immune response to agricultural allergens may influence NHL development. Impact This prospective study is, to our knowledge, the first to investigate the relationship between allergy symptoms and NHL risk in farmers; confirmation of these findings in other farming populations is warranted.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Farm Characteristics, Allergy Symptoms, and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoid Neoplasms in the Agricultural Health Study

Hofmann

Hoppin

Lynch

et al. 2015

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &Amp; Prevention

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“…Our findings are consistent with those of the casecontrol study in which the reported risk for H & L tumors was twice as high in workers exposed to high levels of poultry and red meat blood combined [28]. The results are also consistent with the reported association of poultry farm exposure and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [29], and also between growing up in a poultry farm and hematologic cancers [30].…”

Section: Carcinogenic Exposure To Poultry Oncogenic Virusessupporting

confidence: 92%

Human Exposure to Poultry and Poultry Products and the Risk of Death from Hematopoietic & Lymphatic Cancers

Bangara

Preacely

Felini

et al. 2017

BJMMR

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Purpose:The purpose of this study was to obtain preliminary information on occupational exposures responsible for the excess of hematopoietic & lymphatic (H&L) cancers previously observed in cohort mortality studies of workers in poultry slaughtering and processing plants. Methods:A pilot case-cohort study was conducted nested within a combined cohort of 30,411 Bangara et al.; BJMMR, 22(1): 1-10, 2017; Article no.BJMMR.34034 2 poultry workers and 16,408 controls, identified from several United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) unions across the United States. Interviewed cases were 48 deaths out of a total of 130 deaths (37%) from H & L tumors that occurred in the cohort between 1990-2003. Controls were N=152 subjects that were successfully interviewed out of 1516 subjects (10%) randomly selected from all cohort members alive as of January 1, 1990. Telephone interviews were obtained directly from live control subjects or next-of-kin for deceased cases and controls. Mortality risk was assessed using logistic regression odds ratios and hazard ratios. Results: Poultry farming [OR=10.8 (95% CI: 3.0-39.1)] and spreading chicken wastes as manure [OR=5.6 (95% CI: 1.5-20.4)] were significantly associated with lymphoma; handling raw eggs in supermarkets [OR=4.3 (95% CI: 1.0-18.0)] was significantly associated with leukemia. Non-poultry exposures significantly associated with these tumors included coal by-products, selling seafood, and killing of pigs. Conclusion: This preliminary study identifies possible occupational exposures that may be associated with excess deaths from H & L tumors in poultry workers. Case-control studies of sufficient statistical power are now needed to confirm these findings and discover new ones. Short Communication

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“…A case-control study in New Zealand found an increase in hematological cancer mortality in adults who grew up on a poultry farm (t Mannetje et al 2012). A case-control study in Canada found no association between occupational exposure to poultry, horses, or pigs and leukemia in adults (Fritschi et al 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Exposure to animals in early childhood has been associated with decreased development of allergies (Campo et al 2006; Ownby et al 2002) and allergies have been inversely associated with leukemia risk in children and adults (Linabery et al 2010; Nanni et al 1996; Schuz et al 2003; t Mannetje et al 2012). Additionally, maternal infections during pregnancy or early life infections in children have been positively associated with childhood leukemia in some studies (Maia Rda and Wunsch Filho 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Allergy rates are lower among children with early life exposure to animals (Campo et al 2006; Ownby et al 2002) and who live on farms (Riedler et al 2001; Stein et al 2016). Lower prevalence of allergic disease among children living on farms or in agricultural areas may be a mechanism for increased risk of CBT and childhood leukemia, because allergy and atopic disease are associated with decreased risk of these cancers (Harding et al 2008; Roncarolo and Infante-Rivard 2012),(Linabery et al 2010; Nanni et al 1996; Schuz et al 2003; t Mannetje et al 2012). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Livestock and poultry density and childhood cancer incidence in nine states in the USA

Booth

Jones

Turyk

et al. 2017

Environmental Research

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Background Parental occupational and childhood exposures to farm animals have been positively associated with childhood brain tumors, whereas associations with childhood leukemia are equivocal. The developing immune system may be influenced by allergen, virus, or other exposures from animal sources, which may contribute to childhood cancer incidence. Methods Incident cancers (acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL], acute myeloid leukemia [AML], central nervous system [CNS], peripheral nervous system [PNS]) for children aged 0–4 diagnosed between 2003 and 2008 were obtained from nine National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries and were linked to U.S. Census of Agriculture data from 2002 and 2007 by county of diagnosis. Animal densities (animal units [AU]/km2; one animal unit is 1,000 pounds of animal weight) were estimated for hogs, cattle, chickens (layers and broilers, separately), equine (horses, ponies, mules, burros, donkeys), goats, sheep, turkeys, and total animals. Animal density was examined in models as both continuous (AU per km2) and categorical variables (quartiles). Animal operation densities (per km2) by size of operation (cattle, hogs, chickens, sheep) were modeled continuously. Rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression. Results We found positive associations between AML and broiler chicken densities (RRper 10 AU/km2=1.14, 95% CI=1.02–1.26). ALL rates increased with densities of hog operations (RRper operation/100 km2=1.06, 95% CI=1.02–1.11). PNS cancer rates were inversely associated with layer chicken density (RRper log of AU/km2=0.94, 95% CI=0.89–0.99). No association was found between any cancer type and densities of cattle, equine, or goats. Conclusions Although limited by the ecologic study design, some of our findings are novel and should be examined in epidemiological studies with individual level data.

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Farming, growing up on a farm, and haematological cancer mortality

Abstract: These results could suggest a role for early life biological exposures in the development of haematological cancers.

Cited by 11 publications

References 44 publications

Farm Characteristics, Allergy Symptoms, and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoid Neoplasms in the Agricultural Health Study

Farm Characteristics, Allergy Symptoms, and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoid Neoplasms in the Agricultural Health Study

Human Exposure to Poultry and Poultry Products and the Risk of Death from Hematopoietic & Lymphatic Cancers

Livestock and poultry density and childhood cancer incidence in nine states in the USA

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