DO AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS CAUSE SOFT TISSUE SARCOMA? INITIAL FINDINGS OF A CASE‐CONTROL STUDY IN NEW ZEALAND

Abstract

Abstract Swedish studies have indicated that persons exposed to chlorophenols and phenoxyherbicide sprays, including 2,4,5‐T, may be at increased risk of developing soft tissue sarcoma (STS). In addition, several cases of STS have been reported among industrial workers manufacturing 2,4,5‐T and related compounds. This paper reports initial findings from a case‐control study of 102 male STS patients appearing on the New Zealand Cancer Registry between 1976 and 1980, with 306 controls chosen from patients with other forms of cancer and matched by age and year of registration. Occupation as reported at the time of cancer registration was compared between the two groups. No excess appeared for the occupational group involving agriculture and forestry in spite of the fact that phenoxyherbicides have been used extensively for many years in New Zealand in agriculture and forestry. While a more definitive conclusion concerning the relationship between chemical exposures and STS must await analysis of patient interviews, the findings so far suggest that even if phenoxyherbicides and chlorophenols cause STS, only a small proportion of cases could be attributed to such chemicals in New Zealand.