Pesticides tied to childhood cancers
By Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times
Childhood exposure to indoor insecticides is associated with an increased risk for certain childhood cancers, a new study has found.
Researchers reviewed 16 studies of children exposed to indoor pesticides, including professional pest control services, indoor flea foggers, flea and tick pet collars, and various ready-to-use roach and ant sprays. The analysis, in Pediatrics, included 7,400 cancer cases matched with 9,437 healthy control subjects.
Exposure to indoor, but not outdoor, residential insecticides was associated with a 47 percent increased risk for childhood leukemia and a 43 percent increased risk for childhood lymphomas. Outdoor pesticides used as weed killers were associated with a 26 percent increased risk for brain tumors.