Investigation into a suspected cluster of pediatric cancers in a wine-growing town in Gironde. June 2013

In February 2013, the Aquitaine Regional Health Agency (ARS) was contacted regarding pesticide spraying near a school and a suspected spatiotemporal cluster of pediatric cancers in a wine-growing town in Gironde. An investigation was launched to objectively assess the incidence of pediatric cancers and evaluate the plausibility of a link with pesticide spraying in vineyards. Case identification was conducted using the national pediatric registries of malignant hematological diseases (1990–2012) and solid tumors (2000–2012) for the municipality and its neighboring areas, which are also characterized by significant wine-growing activity. In total, 9 cases of pediatric cancers were recorded by the cancer registries in the municipality and neighboring areas (5 hematological malignancies from 1990 to 2012, 2 brain tumors, 1 rhabdomyosarcoma, and 1 neuroblastoma from 2000 to 2012), representing a slight excess of cases over the past 14 years (8 observed versus 5.7 expected). In the municipality alone, this excess is small (4 observed cases versus 0.8 expected). Aside from significant wine-growing activity in the study area, including pesticide application near the school, no other major source of pollution has been identified. Epidemiological methods cannot determine whether the excess of cancer cases—which remains small—is linked to a common environmental risk factor. Furthermore, there are other factors, particularly individual ones, that could explain the occurrence of these diseases and that have not been investigated. Since the contribution of pesticides to cancer risk cannot be ruled out, it was recommended that measures be implemented to reduce exposure, as well as health surveillance in the municipality.

Author(s): Castor C, Giraud S

Publishing year: 2015

Pages: 26 p.

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