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Agricultural exposure and risk of bladder cancer in the AGRIculture and CANcer cohort

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Abstract

Purpose

Literature on agricultural activities and bladder cancer risk is scarce. However, farmers can be subjected to carcinogenic exposure (e.g. arsenic, previously used as a pesticide in France). This study aimed at assessing the role of a large range of agricultural activities and tasks on bladder cancer risk.

Methods

The study population was the AGRIculture and CANcer cohort, a large prospective cohort of individuals affiliated to the agricultural health insurance scheme (MSA) in France. Incident bladder cancers were identified by cancer registries from enrolment (2005–2007) to 2009. Data on agricultural exposure during professional lifetime (5 animals, 13 crops, specific tasks) were obtained from the enrolment questionnaire. Associations between bladder cancer and agricultural exposure were analysed using a Cox model, adjusted for gender and smoking history.

Results

Among the 148,051 farm owners and workers included in this analysis, 179 incident bladder cancers were identified. We observed an elevated risk among field-grown vegetable workers [HR 1.89, 95% CI (1.20–2.99)], with an exposure–response relationship with duration of work [≥30 years: HR 2.54, 95% CI (1.11–5.83), p-trend = 0.02], and higher risk among women [HR 3.82, 95% CI (1.58–9.25), p-interaction = 0.05]. Non-significantly increased risks were also observed in greenhouse farmers (HR = 1.95), pea sowing (HR = 1.84), rape sowing (HR = 1.64); several tasks involving pesticide use, especially seed treatment (HR = 1.24); and in activities and tasks potentially exposing to arsenic compounds via pesticide use (HR = 1.49) or re-entry tasks (HR = 1.63).

Conclusions

Our analyses raise the question of a possible link between agricultural activity, especially field-grown vegetables, and greenhouse cultivation and bladder cancer.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to S. Deant, M. Niez and V. Tribouillard for processing data from the enrolment questionnaire and A.S. Lacauve, C. Meyer and E. Niez for technical assistance. E. Wavelet (MSA Loire Atlantique-Vendée), M. Gagey (Caisse Centrale MSA), M. Delanoë (MSA Midi Pyrénées Nord), E. Krencker (MSA Alsace), B. Ladépêche (MSA Gironde), J.J. Laplante (MSA Franche Comté), D. Lenoir (MSA Bourgogne), P. Pouzet (MSA Côtes Normandes), A. Paumier (MSA Picardie), E. Rigaud, A.C. Crémieux, S. de la Fabregue (Caisse Centrale MSA), O. Surot (MSA Alpes du Nord), who are members of the AGRICAN cohort Steering Committee, together with the registries directors in the following départements: A. Woronoff (Doubs), G. Coureau (Gironde), M. Colonna (Isère), F. Molinié (Loire-Atlantique-Vendée), S. Bara (Manche), M. Velten (Bas-Rhin), E. Marrer (Haut-Rhin), O. Ganry (Somme), P. Grosclaude (Tarn).

Funding

The authors thank the Ligue Contre le Cancer (Nationale and Comités du Calvados, de l’Orne, de la Manche, du Maine et Loire et de Paris), the Mutualité Sociale Agricole (caisse centrale et caisses des Alpes du Nord, de l’Alsace, de Bourgogne, des Côtes Normandes, de Franche Comté, de Gironde, de Loire-Atlantique Vendée, de Midi Pyrénées Nord, de la Picardie), the Fondation de France (Mr Edouard Serres), the Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail, the Institut National du Cancer (grant number InCA 8422), the Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (grant number ARC 02-010), the Conseil Régional de Basse Normandie, the François Baclesse Comprehensive Cancer Centre, which funded this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR 1086 Cancers et Préventions, INSERM, Caen, France

    Mathilde Boulanger, Séverine Tual, Clémentine Lemarchand, Anne-Valérie Guizard, Bénédicte Clin & Pierre Lebailly

  2. Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France

    Mathilde Boulanger, Séverine Tual, Clémentine Lemarchand, Bénédicte Clin & Pierre Lebailly

  3. CHU de Caen, Service de Pathologie Professionnelle, Caen, France

    Mathilde Boulanger & Bénédicte Clin

  4. Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer François Baclesse, Caen, France

    Séverine Tual & Pierre Lebailly

  5. Registre Général des Tumeurs du Calvados, Centre François Baclesse, Caen, France

    Anne-Valérie Guizard

  6. Registre des Cancers du Bas-Rhin, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Michel Velten

  7. Caisse Centrale de la Mutualité Sociale Agricole, Echelon National Santé sécurité au travail, Bagnolet, France

    Elisabeth Marcotullio

  8. ISPED, Laboratoire Santé Travail Environnement, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

    Isabelle Baldi

  9. INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U897 – Epidémiologie-Biostatistique, Bordeaux, France

    Isabelle Baldi

  10. CHU de Bordeaux, Service de Médecine du Travail, Bordeaux, France

    Isabelle Baldi

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  1. Mathilde Boulanger
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  2. Séverine Tual
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  4. Anne-Valérie Guizard
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  7. Isabelle Baldi
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  8. Bénédicte Clin
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Correspondence to Mathilde Boulanger.

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Boulanger, M., Tual, S., Lemarchand, C. et al. Agricultural exposure and risk of bladder cancer in the AGRIculture and CANcer cohort. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 90, 169–178 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1182-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1182-y

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