Occupational factors associated with hematological neoplasms in a fruit production pole: a case-control study

Abstract Objectives: to identify the occupational risk factors for hematological neoplasms, specifically leukemia, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. Methods: this is a case-control study. Cases were individuals with hematological neoplasms and controls were individuals with other diagnoses; frequency-matched by sex and age. Individual interviews were conducted by trained researchers using a structured questionnaire. We collected information on participants’ occupational history and chemicals use and exposure, in general, and pesticides, in particular. Odds ratios (OR) were used as association measurements, estimated by multivariate non-conditional logistic regression models for exploratory analysis. Results: 61 cases and 146 controls were included. We found that agricultural work (OR: 2.18; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.10;4.30), occupational exposure to pesticides (OR: 2.37; 95%CI: 1.18;4.77), and total occupational exposure to pesticides throughout their working life (in hours) - both short (OR: 3.52; 95%CI: 1.25;9.87) and long (OR: 3.95; 95%CI: 1.54;10.14) - constituted risk factors for hematological neoplasms, when compared to those unexposed. We adjusted these measures for alcohol consumption and smoking, physical activity, income, education, and history of occupational exposure to chemicals. Conclusion: occupational exposure to pesticides is associated with hematological neoplasms regardless of lifestyle and socioeconomic status.