Agricultural pesticide use, familial cancer, and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

To investigate whether the association between agricultural pesticide use and the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is modified by a family history of hematopoietic cancer, including leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma, we analyzed pooled data on white men from three population-based, case-control studies of NHL conducted in Iowa/Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska. Information on the agricultural use of insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides; a family history of cancer; and other risk factors was obtained by interviewing 973 cases and 2,853 controls or, if deceased, their next-of-kin (37% of cases, 43% of controls). The NHL risk was estimated by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for age, state of residence, type of respondent, and use of hair dye. Compared to men with no family history of cancer, the ORs (95% CIs) of NHL was 1.5 (1.3-1.8) for men with a family history of nonhematopoietic cancer, and 2.7 (1.9-3.7) for those with a history of hematopoietic cancer among first-degree relatives. This positive association was noted for each group of NHL defined according to the Working Formulation, and was most pronounced for small lymphocytic NHL. Among direct respondents, farmers who used pesticides and had a positive family history of cancer or hematopoietic cancer were not at elevated risk of NHL, compared to nonfarmers who had no family cancer history. However, among proxy respondents, ORs were elevated for farmers who had a positive family history of hematopoietic cancer and used animal insecticides (OR = 4.6; 1.9-11.2), crop insecticides (OR = 4.7; 1.6-13.4), or herbicides (OR = 4.9; 1.7-14.2), although the interaction of family history of cancer and agricultural pesticide use was not statistically significant. In summary, the joint effects of the family cancer history and pesticide use were limited to proxy respondents with wide CIs and, thus, provide little evidence that a family history of cancer modifies the association of agricultural exposures with NHL.

Alcohol consumption, family history of hematolymphoproliferative cancer, and the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in men.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and to examine whether the association is modified by a family history of hematolymphoproliferative cancer (HLPC). METHODS: Data on white men from two population-based case-control studies of NHL conducted in Iowa/Minnesota and Kansas were pooled for this analysis. Information on alcohol consumption, family history of HLPC, and other factors was obtained by interviewing 792 cases and 2193 controls or, if deceased, their next-of-kin. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: There was no clear association between NHL and the use of alcohol, beer, hard liquor, or wine. The relationship, however, may differ according to a family history of HLPC. Alcohol use was not associated with the risk of NHL in men without a family history of HLPC (ORs = 0.8 and 0.9 for men consuming alcohol < or = median and > median, respectively), the presence of a family history in the absence of alcohol use was associated with a slightly increased risk (OR = 1.4; 95% CI 0.8-2.5), whereas risks of NHL among men with a positive family history were 2.1 (CI 1.0-4.7) for men consuming alcohol < or = median (13.7 g/day) and 2.8 (1.3-5.9) for men consuming alcohol greater than median. CONCLUSIONS: The present data found no clear association between alcohol consumption and the risk of NHL among men without a family history of HLPC, whereas alcohol intake was associated an elevated risk in men with a positive family history. The finding of effect modification of the alcohol-NHL association by a family history of HLPC is novel and requires confirmation.

Written language clues to cognitive changes of aging: an analysis of the letters of King James VI/I.

Reductions in language complexity normally occur in older adults because of decreased working memory and rate of language processing. Comparative measures can reveal whether linguistic change is due to normal aging or dementia. Linguistic analysis of a series of letters of King James, 1566-1625, investigate whether he exhibited a normative or atypical pattern of change. Fifty-seven letters from the years 1604 to 1624 were analyzed. Data modeling reveals a quadratic pattern of decline in written language complexity with increased diversity of vocabulary corresponding to historical reports of illness around 1618-1619. This investigation demonstrates how language analysis can provide valuable insight to normal and pathological cognitive changes of aging as well as to the understanding of historical figures.