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Cancer in migrant and seasonal hired farm workers.

Mills PK; Dodge J; Yang R

J Agromedicine 2009 Apr; 14(2):185-191

https://doi.org/10.1080/10599240902824034

20038814

Studies of cancer among farm workers are difficult to conduct and interpret given the unique nature of this occupational group. The transitory nature of the work, high levels of poverty, and lack of legal documentation make epidemiologic studies difficult to accomplish. Nevertheless, this workforce in the United States, which numbers as much as 3 million persons, is a high isk population due to exposures to numerous toxic substances, including excessive sunlight, heat, dangerous machinery, fumes, fertizers, dust, and pesticides. We summarize characteristics of farm workers (i.e., demographics, health care) from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) and the California Agricultural Workers Survey (CAWS) and present findings from a series of studies conducted among farm workers in California. The epidemiology literature was reviewed and methods for a unique farm worker union-based epidemiologic study are presented. Farm workers in California and the rest of the United States, many of whom are seasonal and migrant workers are at elevated risk for numerous forms of cancer compared to the general population and specific pesticides may be associated with this altered risk. Elevated risks have been found for lymphomas and prostate, brain, leukemia, cervix, and stomach cancers.

Agricultural-industry; Agricultural-workers; Cancer-rates; Carcinogens; Demographic-characteristics; Environmental-exposure; Environmental-factors; Environmental-pollution; Epidemiology; Exposure-assessment; Farmers; Health-hazards; Racial-factors; Risk-analysis; Risk-factors; Statistical-analysis; Work-environment; Worker-health; Work-operations; Workplace-studies; Author Keywords: Cancer; epidemiology; migrant farm workers

Paul K. Mills, PhD, MPH, Associate Chief, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Fresno Medical Education and Research Program, Fresno, CA 93701, USA

20090401

Journal Article

PMills@fresno.ucsf.edu

Grant

2009

Grant-Number-R13-OH-009571

2

1059-924X

Journal of Agromedicine

WI; CA

Marshfield Clinic