Cancer Incidence of 2,4-D Production Workers

Carol J. Burns; Kenneth Bodner; Gerard Swaen; James J. Collins; Kathy Beard; Marcia Lee

doi:10.3390/ijerph8093579

Cancer Incidence of 2,4-D Production Workers

Carol J. Burns^*, Kenneth Bodner, Gerard Swaen, James J. Collins, Kathy Beard, Marcia Lee

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Despite showing no evidence of carcinogenicity in laboratory animals, the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) has been associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in some human epidemiology studies, albeit inconsistently. We matched an existing cohort of 2,4-D manufacturing employees with cancer registries in three US states resulting in 244 cancers compared to 276 expected cases. The Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR) for the 14 NHL cases was 1.36 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.74-2.29). Risk estimates were higher in the upper cumulative exposure and duration subgroups, yet not statistically significant. There were no clear patterns of NHL risk with period of hire and histology subtypes. Statistically significant results were observed for prostate cancer (SIR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.57-0.94), and "other respiratory" cancers (SIR = 3.79, 95% CI 1.22-8.84; 4 of 5 cases were mesotheliomas). Overall, we observed fewer cancer cases than expected, and a non statistically significant increase in the number of NHL cases.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3579-3590
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	8
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph8093579
Publication status	Published - Sept 2011

Keywords

2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
cancer
occupation

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10.3390/ijerph8093579Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{b4a88ed48b5c4ce9901f1eb9b9f83277,

title = "Cancer Incidence of 2,4-D Production Workers",

abstract = "Despite showing no evidence of carcinogenicity in laboratory animals, the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) has been associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in some human epidemiology studies, albeit inconsistently. We matched an existing cohort of 2,4-D manufacturing employees with cancer registries in three US states resulting in 244 cancers compared to 276 expected cases. The Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR) for the 14 NHL cases was 1.36 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.74-2.29). Risk estimates were higher in the upper cumulative exposure and duration subgroups, yet not statistically significant. There were no clear patterns of NHL risk with period of hire and histology subtypes. Statistically significant results were observed for prostate cancer (SIR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.57-0.94), and {"}other respiratory{"} cancers (SIR = 3.79, 95% CI 1.22-8.84; 4 of 5 cases were mesotheliomas). Overall, we observed fewer cancer cases than expected, and a non statistically significant increase in the number of NHL cases.",

keywords = "2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, cancer, occupation",

author = "Burns, {Carol J.} and Kenneth Bodner and Gerard Swaen and Collins, {James J.} and Kathy Beard and Marcia Lee",

year = "2011",

month = sep,

doi = "10.3390/ijerph8093579",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

pages = "3579--3590",

journal = "International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health",

issn = "1660-4601",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Cancer Incidence of 2,4-D Production Workers

AU - Burns, Carol J.

AU - Bodner, Kenneth

AU - Swaen, Gerard

AU - Collins, James J.

AU - Beard, Kathy

AU - Lee, Marcia

PY - 2011/9

Y1 - 2011/9

N2 - Despite showing no evidence of carcinogenicity in laboratory animals, the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) has been associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in some human epidemiology studies, albeit inconsistently. We matched an existing cohort of 2,4-D manufacturing employees with cancer registries in three US states resulting in 244 cancers compared to 276 expected cases. The Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR) for the 14 NHL cases was 1.36 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.74-2.29). Risk estimates were higher in the upper cumulative exposure and duration subgroups, yet not statistically significant. There were no clear patterns of NHL risk with period of hire and histology subtypes. Statistically significant results were observed for prostate cancer (SIR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.57-0.94), and "other respiratory" cancers (SIR = 3.79, 95% CI 1.22-8.84; 4 of 5 cases were mesotheliomas). Overall, we observed fewer cancer cases than expected, and a non statistically significant increase in the number of NHL cases.

AB - Despite showing no evidence of carcinogenicity in laboratory animals, the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) has been associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in some human epidemiology studies, albeit inconsistently. We matched an existing cohort of 2,4-D manufacturing employees with cancer registries in three US states resulting in 244 cancers compared to 276 expected cases. The Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR) for the 14 NHL cases was 1.36 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.74-2.29). Risk estimates were higher in the upper cumulative exposure and duration subgroups, yet not statistically significant. There were no clear patterns of NHL risk with period of hire and histology subtypes. Statistically significant results were observed for prostate cancer (SIR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.57-0.94), and "other respiratory" cancers (SIR = 3.79, 95% CI 1.22-8.84; 4 of 5 cases were mesotheliomas). Overall, we observed fewer cancer cases than expected, and a non statistically significant increase in the number of NHL cases.

KW - 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

KW - cancer

KW - occupation

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph8093579

DO - 10.3390/ijerph8093579

M3 - Article

C2 - 22016704

SN - 1660-4601

VL - 8

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EP - 3590

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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ER -