Prostate cancer in rural workers exposed to agrochemicals: scope review

Abstract

Since the early 2000s there has been an increasing number of studies evaluating pesticide exposure and its consequences for worker health. However, they are not systematized in relation to prostate cancer in rural workers. We aimed to map the literature dealing with the association between exposure to pesticides and the occurrence of prostate cancer in rural workers. A scoping review was conducted in the Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINHAL) and Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases. The descriptors “Agrochemicals”, “Farmers” and “Prostatic Neoplasms” were employed. Nineteen articles were part of this review. In seventeen articles, associations were found between the occurrence of prostate cancer in rural workers and exposure to agrochemicals. The related risk factors were: family history, smoking, race/color, advanced age, genetic alterations, tons of soybeans produced, and the use of specific pesticides. The literature points to the existence of consistency and biological plausibility for the occurrence of prostate cancer in individuals exposed to pesticides who perform agricultural activities.

Keywords

• rural workers
• agrochemicals
• prostate neoplasms