The Relationship between Exposure to Pesticides and the Occurrence of Lymphoid Neoplasm

BACKGROUND: The etiology of malignant lymphoma is still largely unknown. This study determines the relationship between exposure to pesticides and the occurrence of lymphoid neoplasms in Shiraz, Southern Iran. METHODS: Between 2007 and 2008, in a case control study conducted in Nemazee Hospital in Shiraz, Southern Iran, 200 subjects diagnosed with lymphoma according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification were enrolled. Controls (n=200) were frequency matched to the cases by sex, age, and center. Subjects who were a farmer were compared with all other occupations. RESULTS: Out of the 200 cases that were diagnosed as lymphoid neoplasms, 100 were non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 54 Hodgkin's lymphoma and 46 multiple myeloma. Seventy two percent of the NHL's were of the B-cell type, 15% of the T-cell type and the rest were not classified. Furthermore, subjects exposed to pesticides were at an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and MM, but not Hodgkin lymphoma. CONCLUSION: Risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and MM was highest for exposure to pesticides, among them, insecticide's risk was confirmed.