Pesticides are once again in the news as being linked to cancer. A recent study found that 22 pesticides show direct associations with prostate cancer in the US, and 4 of these pesticides are associated with death from prostate cancer.
The Stanford Univ. researchers also found that the more these pesticides were used in a county-wide area, the greater the association with prostate cancer. They analyzed a total of 295 pesticides across US counties. One of the pesticides associated with prostate cancer is 2,4-D, which is commonly used on lawns as a weed-killer, for example in Feed and Weed products. [Note: it was also one of the 2 pesticides in Agent Orange).
Earlier studies also found a link with some of the pesticides and prostate cancer, including 2,4-D. But this study found a link with 19 more.
The four pesticides associated with death from prostate cancer are three herbicides (trifluralin, cloransulam-methyl, and diflufenzopyr) and one insecticide (thiamethoxam). But of these, only trifluralin is classed by the Environmental Protection Agency as a "possible human carcinogen". (Yes, current studies used to evaluate pesticides are inadequate)
Bottom line: Avoid the use of pesticides as much as possible. Organic methods or least toxic integrated pest management (IPM) is best. On lawns - embrace diversity and view weeds as wildflowers, and your lawn a bee habitat.
From Medical Xpress: Study reveals links between many pesticides and prostate cancer
Researchers have identified 22 pesticides consistently associated with the incidence of prostate cancer in the United States, with four of the pesticides also linked with prostate cancer mortality. The findings are published in Cancer.
To assess county-level associations of 295 pesticides with prostate cancer across counties in the United States, investigators conducted an environment-wide association study, using a lag period between exposure and prostate cancer incidence of 10–18 years to account for the slow-growing nature of most prostate cancers. The years 1997–2001 were assessed for pesticide use and 2011–2015 for prostate cancer outcomes. Similarly, 2002–2006 were analyzed for pesticide use and 2016–2020 for outcomes.
Among the 22 pesticides showing consistent direct associations with prostate cancer incidence across both time-based analyses were three that had previously been linked to prostate cancer, including 2,4-D, one of the most frequently used pesticides in the United States. The 19 candidate pesticides not previously linked to prostate cancer included 10 herbicides, several fungicides and insecticides, and a soil fumigant.
Four pesticides that were linked to prostate cancer incidence were also associated with prostate cancer mortality: three herbicides (trifluralin, cloransulam-methyl, and diflufenzopyr) and one insecticide (thiamethoxam). Only trifluralin is classed by the Environmental Protection Agency as a "possible human carcinogen," whereas the other three are considered "not likely to be carcinogenic" or have evidence of "non-carcinogenicity."
"This research demonstrates the importance of studying environmental exposures, such as pesticide use, to potentially explain some of the geographic variation we observe in prostate cancer incidence and deaths across the United States," said lead author Simon John Christoph Soerensen, MD, of Stanford University School of Medicine.