SOHO 2021 | The Agriculture Health Study: plasma cell dyscrasias and pesticide exposure
Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, FL, summarises the results of the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), which aimed to determine an association between pesticide exposure and the incidence of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), the precursor for multiple myeloma in young farmers. The incidence of MGUS was tested in over 1,600 farmers under the age of 50. The rate of MGUS was found to be significantly higher in this population in comparison to a group of demographically similar men, with an incidence of 7.7% compared to 2.8%. Recent use of permethrin was associated with MGUS, a pyrethroid insecticide previously associated with multiple myeloma. These findings show important implications for the use of pesticides, and suggest that this method of farming should be reviewed. This interview took place during the ninth annual meeting of the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO 2021) congress.
