Final Presentation

This summer research experience has been eye opening since day one. I found myself eager to investigate the links associated between cancer and pesticide exposure here in the central valley. At first I thought it would be simple to find data bases that would provide me with data specific to our counties in the San Joaquin Valley and I could correlate these to the pesticide usage per country. However, I learned that it was not as simple to work with this population and I could only imagine how difficult it is to work with farmworkers, specially migrant farmworkers who are constantly migrating in our state. Interesting findings I found stated a higher incidence of prostate cancer by 14% among licensed restricted use pesticide applicators than for other men in North Carolina and Iowa in specific those being exposed to methyl bromide. The Agriculture Health Study, also identified pesticides that presented a positive relationship with cancer. These studies all suggested further investigation due to many limitations in the study. I then looked at the residential proximity and the incidence of breast cancer but the studies I encountered found no evidence that women living in area of recent high agriculture pesticide presented higher breast cancer incidence rates. Limitations to these studies stated that pre-existing historical data on agricultural pesticide use in conjunction with data on residential histories for those with or at risk of cancer were not available or easy to collect.

Not being able to directly find a link between pesticide exposure and cancer due to the limitations when looking at this population of farmworkers and not having the data to work with sparked a greater interest in me in this area of research. I came across a literature search which focused on the acute pesticide illnesses associated with off target pesticide drift from agricultural applications and I could easily relate to the study because I come from a migrant farmworking family and my parents themselves have presented acute pesticide illnesses due to the pesticide exposure through their job occupation. Headaches, rashes, dizziness are some of the symptoms my parents have complained about after coming home from a long day of work out in the fields; this literature search identified children at higher risk for non-occupational exposure which lead me to my last research study, the C.H.A.M.A.C.O.S. study.

This longitudinal birth cohort study examines pesticide chemicals and other environmental factors that affect children's growth and developmental health. Although it is a recent and small cohort study which began enrolling children in 1999-2000 I find it a potential future population study that can grow and provide cancer incidence rates and data on other health complications among these children who have been exposed to pesticides since before they were born. The study also shows a disparity observed among farmworkers and their family which are at higher exposure to pesticides which results in various health complications.

All in all, this experience has reassured my passion for research in specific to research among the latino farmworkers population. I hope to continue to be involved in research that focuses on the pesticide exposure among farmworkers and the disparities among this group of individuals. I admire and respect the work of researchers because even though I did not find any great discovery through my work I was able to observe the team work among all research studies which contribute in their own way to the bigger picture of identifying potential carcinogens and health disparities. There are so many factors to consider and take into account before making any correlation between data that is acquired and that is something I have profoundly learned and still need further guidance with. I am thankful for this opportunity to be a part of this years Cancer Research Scholars which has exposed me to a possible future career in research available after my undergraduate education.