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Poultry and livestock exposure and cancer risk among farmers in the agricultural health study

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate cancer risk associated with raising animals as commodities, which is associated with a variety of exposures, such as infectious agents and endotoxins.

Methods

Information was available for 49,884 male farmers in the Agricultural Health Study, who reported livestock and poultry production at enrollment (1993–1997). Cancer incidence data were obtained through annual linkage to state registries. Using Poisson regression analyses, we evaluated whether the number and type of animals raised on the farm impacted cancer risk.

Results

Overall, 31,848 (63.8%) male farmers reported raising any animals. Lung cancer risk decreased with increasing number of livestock on the farm (p trend = 0.04) and with raising poultry (Relative Risk (RR) = 0.6; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4–0.97). Raising poultry was associated with an increased risk of colon cancer (RR = 1.4; 95% CI: 0.99–2.0) with further increased with larger flocks (p trend = 0.02). Risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was also elevated in those who raised poultry (RR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.0–2.4), but there was no evidence of increased risk with larger flocks (p trend = 0.5). Raising sheep was associated with a significantly increased risk of multiple myeloma (RR = 4.9; 95% CI: 2.4–12.0). Performing veterinary services increased the risk of Hodgkin lymphoma (RR = 12.2; 95% CI: 1.6–96.3).

Conclusions

We observed an inverse association between raising poultry and livestock and lung cancer risk and some evidence of increased risk of specific lymphohematopoietic malignancies with specific types of animals and performing veterinary services. Further research into associations between raising animals and cancer risk should focus on identification of etiologic agents.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by funds from the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute Z01 CP010119 and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Z01 ES049030). All data used in these analyses were based on AHS data release P1REL201005.00.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 6120 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7240, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Laura E. Beane Freeman, Stella Koutros, Aaron Blair, Mary H. Ward & Michael Alavanja

  2. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Anneclaire J. DeRoos

  3. Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Jane A. Hoppin

  4. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Laura E. Beane Freeman, Stella Koutros, Aaron Blair, Mary H. Ward, Michael Alavanja & Jane A. Hoppin

Authors
  1. Laura E. Beane Freeman
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  2. Anneclaire J. DeRoos
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  3. Stella Koutros
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  4. Aaron Blair
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  5. Mary H. Ward
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  6. Michael Alavanja
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  7. Jane A. Hoppin
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Correspondence to Laura E. Beane Freeman.

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Beane Freeman, L.E., DeRoos, A.J., Koutros, S. et al. Poultry and livestock exposure and cancer risk among farmers in the agricultural health study. Cancer Causes Control 23, 663–670 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-9921-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-9921-1

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