| Household Pesticides and Risk of Pediatric Brain Tumors Janice M. Pogoda
1
and Susan Preston-Martin
2
1
Statology, Truckee, CA 96161 USA
2
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA 90033 USA Abstract
A follow-up to a population-based case-control study of pediatric brain tumors in Los Angeles County, California, involving mothers of 224 cases and 218 controls, investigated the risk of household pesticide use from pregnancy to diagnosis. Risk was significantly elevated for prenatal exposure to flea/tick pesticides [odds ratio (OR) = 1.7 ; 95% confidence interval (CI) , 1.1-2.6], particularly among subjects less than 5 years old at diagnosis (OR = 2.5 ; CI, 1.2-5.5) . Prenatal risk was highest for mothers who prepared, applied, or cleaned up flea/tick products themselves (OR = 2.2 ; CI, 1.1-4.2 ; for subjects <5 years of age, OR = 5.4 ; CI, 1.3-22.3) . A significant trend of increased risk with increased exposure was observed for number of pets treated ( p = 0.04) . Multivariate analysis of types of flea/tick products indicated that sprays/foggers were the only products significantly related to risk (OR = 10.8 ; CI, 1.3-89.1) . Elevated risks were not observed for termite or lice treatments, pesticides for nuisance pests, or yard and garden insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or snail killer. Certain precautions, if ignored, were associated with significant increased risk: evacuating the house after spraying or dusting for pests (OR = 1.6 ; CI, 1.0-2.6) , delaying the harvest of food after pesticide treatment (OR = 3.6 ; CI, 1.0-13.7) , and following instructions on pesticide labels (OR = 3.7 ; CI, 1.5-9.6) . These findings indicate that chemicals used in flea/tick products may increase risk of pediatric brain tumors and suggest that further research be done to pinpoint specific chemicals involved. Key words : brain neoplasms, childhood neoplasms, environmental carcinogens, flea control, insecticides, pesticides. Environ Health Perspect 105:1214-1220 (1997) .
Address correspondence to J.M. Pogoda, Statology, 10355 Pine Cone Way, Truckee, CA 96161 USA. We thank Kristina Paoff for developing the questionnaire and for overseeing the study, Maria Paul for conducting the interviews, and Steven Hecht for his helpful comments on the manuscript. Funding was provided by an administrative supplement from NIEHS to NIH grant CA47082 from the National Cancer Institute. Received 6 May 1997 ; accepted 28 July 1997.
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