Work in brief

PROSTATE CANCER AND FARMING

Meta-analyses suggest that farming may be a risk factor for cancer of the prostate, the evidence being stronger in North America than in other countries. Meyer et al1 have investigated whether risks vary between African–American men (a sub-group with an exceptionally high incidence of disease) and the more usually studied population of male Caucasian farmers. In a population-based, case-control study from South Carolina, USA, farming exposures were compared in 405 incident cases of prostate cancer and 392 controls, matched for age, race and locality. Farming was associated with a greater risk of cancer in Caucasians (odds ratio (OR) 1.8), but not …