2015/01/01 by Séverine Tual, Tual, Séverine, Clémentine Lemarchand +19
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #AGRICAN #Cancers #Cohort #Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability #Pesticides #Risk factors
paper · pdf · doi:10.15454/1.4622679011419443e12
openalex publication_date 2015/01/01 · openalex created_date 2024/03/16 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
The part of cancers attributable to occupational exposures represents at least 2 to 8 % of the mortality by cancer (that is 3 in 12,000 deaths a year in France). Literature on cancer risk among agricultural population is scarce in France although these exposures concern more than 1 million people and France is one of first user countries of pesticides in the World. Nevertheless, according to numerous studies led mainly among the North American and Scandinavian farmers, several cancers are more frequent among farmers (hematological cancers, malignant melanoma, soft tissue sarcomas, prostate, stomach and brain cancer…), particularly among those exposed to pesticides. A very large cohort of farmers and agricultural workers is constituted since 2008. This cohort AGRICAN concerns departments having a cancer registry qualified by the National Committee of Registers, for an enrolment of more than 180,000 members of the agricultural health insurance (farm owners and farm workers mainly, active or retired). It makes of this cohort the vastest and the most varied in then populations and the agricultural activities concerned at the international level and one of the biggest cohort led in France. The first results in terms of mortality and incidence over the period between the enrolment (2005-2007) and the end of year 2011 confirm and strengthen the trends observed at the international level, worth knowing lower risks for smoking related cancers and increased risks for hematological cancers, cancers of the prostate, the lips and for the cutaneous melanomas. The first internal analyses on the most frequent cancers showed increased risks for prostate cancers among cattle breeders (in particular during the use of insecticides on animals), or of pigs or still during the realization of hays as well as during the direct or indirect pesticide exposure on various crops (wheat- barley, fruit growing, potatoes, tobacco) and more particularly to those having never worn protective gloves during the use of pesticides. Lung cancer was also increased among farmers involved in peas growing, especially during harvesting. Interestingly, our study provides evidence of strong and consistent protective effect of cattle and horse farming on lung cancer, especially in individuals who cared or milked the animals, independently of smoking. The first phase of follow-up of the exposures in this cohort began in its active phase at the beginning of 2015 with the sending of self-administered questionnaires which will allow to update information on the occupational exposures and life habits. Collaborative works are in progress with several other agricultural cohorts at the international level within the framework of the international consortium of agricultural cohorts (AGRICOH), in particular, on the risk factors of hematological cancers (Norwegian and American cohorts) and on the matrix exposure on endotoxins (American, New Zealand cohorts).