Table 2.
Summary Estimates of the Association Between Farming and Prostate Cancer, Stratified by Type of Controls
| Study | Country | Ethnic groups (n) | Year of recruitment |
Cases | Controls | Control source |
Age range/average (Years) |
Matching factors | OR (95% CI) farmer vs. nonfarmer | Definition of farming/pesticide use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases vs. BPH controls | ||||||||||
| Checkoway et al. (1987) | United States | White (69), Black (35) | 1984–1985 | 40 | 64 | Hospital | ≥50 (cases: 68.8; controls: 67.3) |
None | 5.00 (2.08–12.01) | Ever employed as farmer/ever exposed to pesticides-herbicides |
| van der Gulden et al. (1995) | Netherlands | White (1,691) | 1988–1990 | 345 | 1346 | Hospital | 45–91 (cases: 72; controls: 69) |
None | 2.63 (0.93–7.44) | Farmers working in mixed farming (i.e., cattle/stock); mean number of days per year during which pesticide/fertilizer was applied, 1960–1970 |
| Meta OR | 3.83 (1.96–7.48) | |||||||||
| Q-test p value | .352 | |||||||||
| Cases vs. non-BPH controls | ||||||||||
| Franceschi et al. (1993) | Italy | White (1,669) | 1985–1991 | 161 | 1508 | Hospital | 16–79 | None | 2.06 (1.41–3.00) (age, smoking, drinking adjusted: 1.9; 06–1.4) |
Ever occupation as farmer |
| Ilic et al. (1996) | Serbia | White (303) | 1990–1994 | 101 | 202 | Hospital | Cases: 70.5; controls: 71.5 |
Age, hospital, admittance, residence |
1.16 (0.71–1.91) | Ever occupation as farmer |
| Bunker (unpublished) | Tobago | Afro-Caribbean (574) |
1997–2003 | 263 | 311 | Healthy | 40–79 | Age | 1.21 (0.86–1.71) | Ever worked in a farm/plantation ever exposed to pesticides |
| Jackson (unpublished) | Jamaica | Afro-Caribbean (518) |
2005–2007 | 243 | 275 | Healthy | 40–80 (cases: 61.8; controls: 67.8) |
None | 1.39 (0.89–2.17) | Current occupation as farmer |
| Multigner et al. (2010) | Guadalupe | Afro-Caribbean (1,432) |
2004–2007 | 709 | 723 | Healthy | 54–72 (cases: 60.6; controls: 66.2) |
None | 1.22 (0.86–1.73) | Ever banana farming/ever exposed to chlordecone (plasma concentration) |
| Meta OR | 1.38 (1.16–1.64) | |||||||||
| Q-test p value | .216 | |||||||||
| I2,95% CI | 31% (0–73) | |||||||||
| Eggers-test p value | .494 | |||||||||
| Cases vs. mixed controlsa | ||||||||||
| Le Marchand et al. (l99l)b | United States | Asian (545),White (178), Hawaiian (48) |
1977–1983 | 263 | 508 | Healthy | N/A(data stratified <70, ≥70) |
Frequency matched 5-year age groups |
0.98(0.60–1.60) | Farmer as the longest job held by men 70+ years; Ever exposure to pesticides from any occupation |
| Ewings and Bowie (1996) | England | White (484) | 1989–1991 | 159 | 325 | Hospital | N/A | Age | 0.74 (0.48–1.15) | Ever farming (includes horticultural workers, groundsmen, etc.); ever used pesticides-fertilizers |
| Krstev et al. (1998) | United States | White (1,223), Black (1,073) |
1986–1989 | 981 | 1,315 | Healthy | 40–79 | Age frequency matched |
2.40 (1.32–4.38) | Ever employed as farmer; ever pesticide exposure |
| Sharpe et al. (2001) | Canada | French Canada (565), other (311) |
1979–1985 | 400 | 476 | Healthy | 47–70 | Frequency matched—age and residence |
1.11 (0.83–1.49) | Ever gardening and or farming; weekly exposure to pesticides for ≥6 months |
| Meyer et al. (2007) | United States | White (464), Black (333) | 1999–2001 | 405 | 392 | Hospitalc | 65–79 | Frequency matched—age |
1.36 (1.03–1.79) | Ever worked on farms since age 14; ever mixed/applied pesticides |
| Q-test p value | .024 | |||||||||
| I2,95% CI | 64% (7–86) | |||||||||
| Eggers-test p value | .888 |
Note. OR = odds ratio; CI = confidence interval; N/A = not available; BPH = benign prostate hyperplasia.
a
Included both BPH and non-BPH controls or did not confirm the nature of the controls.
b
Includes incident and prevalent cases.
c
Medicare beneficiaries.