A recent Stanford University study has linked 22 commonly used pesticides to an increased risk of prostate cancer, highlighting concerns about environmental factors in cancer incidence. The research, led by Dr. Simon John Christoph Soerensen, was published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer.
The scientists examined the presence of 295 pesticides across various counties in the United States. Given that most prostate cancers grow slowly, they selected a lag period between exposure and cancer incidence of 10 to 18 years to account for delayed effects.
Soerensen’s group analyzed pesticide use data from 1997 through 2001 and compared it to prostate cancer rates from 2016 to 2020. Findings revealed that of the 295 pesticides examined, 22 were associated with prostate cancer, although the study could not definitively prove cause and effect. These pesticides included several herbicides and fungicides, each containing a soil fumigant.
Soerensen, a graduate student in epidemiology at Stanford University, noted in a journal news release, “This research demonstrates the importance of studying environmental exposures, such as pesticide use, to potentially explain some of the geographic variations we observe in prostate cancer incidence across the United States. By building on these findings, we can advance our efforts to pinpoint risk factors for prostate cancer and work towards reducing the number of men affected by this disease.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men, excluding skin cancer. With 1 in 8 men diagnosed in their lifetime, prostate cancer ranks as the second leading cause of cancer death among men, following lung cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 35,250 men will die from prostate cancer in 2024.
SOURCES
https://amp.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/about/key-statistics.html