ABSTRACT
Cancer from pesticide exposure has received more attention than other potential health outcomes, but concerns regarding neurologic, reproductive, immunologic, and developmental outcomes are growing. The International Agency for Research on Cancer as performed evaluations for a number of pesticides. Most bioassays are designed to detect the effects of early stage carcinogens. Some of the carcinogenic pesticides may operate in this fashion. In an evaluation of pesticides by a battery of genotoxic tests, about one-half were found to be active in several of the tests. Assessment of exposure is typically a major limitation in all epidemiologic studies and this is also true for studies on pesticides. Epidemiologic investigations of nonmalignant disease and pesticides are at an earlier stage than those for cancer, and hypothesis-generating studies are needed. Subgroups with a special susceptibility have long been a concern with regard to environmental hazards.
