New Research: If Your Neighbor Has This in Their Yard, It Could Increase the Risk of Cancer That Affects 13% of Men

It’s one of the reasons so many viewers love Yellowstone: Wide, open spaces where homes aren’t on top of each other is one predominant version of the American dream.

And while some research has shown that metropolitan areas can pose greater cancer risk, possibly due to pollution exposure, a November 2024 study suggests rural living may come with hazards of a separate nature.

Previously, breast and prostate cancer were found to be two cancer types shown to bear a connection to one’s geographical environment, and now a group of researchers have narrowed in on prostate cancer more specifically.

Led by medical doctors and science researchers and published in an American Cancer Society journal, the November 2024 study analyzed usage of 295 pesticides in a selection of US counties. The researchers compared records of pesticide use to rates of prostate cancer across those counties, and found a positive association between 22 pesticides and increased cancer risk.

Their findings suggest that living next to farms or agricultural sites that use those pesticides could be a driving force behind that spike in prostate cancer cases. Certain pesticides in particular may be linked with the highest prostate cancer mortality numbers.

Recognizing that carcinogens have shown to have a 10- to 18-year delay between initial exposure and a cancer diagnosis, the researchers used two sets of data, each of which spanned at least a decade. The first looked at pesticide use occurring between 1997 and 2001, paired with health outcomes between 2011 and 2015.

The second looked at pesticide use occurring between 2002 and 2006, with health outcomes between 2016 and 2020.

Out of the 22 problem chemicals, which also included herbicides and insecticides, only three had previously been identified as linked to prostate cancer. Four of those chemicals—trifluralin, cloransulam-methyl, diflufenzopyr, and the insecticide thiamethoxam—were found to be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer mortality.

Importantly, the researchers note that their findings stopped short of proving that these pesticides cause cancer.

Simon John Christoph Soerensen, MD, a medical; doctor and PhD candidate in public health at Stanford University and a lead author of the study, commented: “This research demonstrates the importance of studying environmental exposures, such as pesticide use, to potentially explain some of the geographic variation we observe in prostate cancer incidence and deaths across the United States.” Soerensen continued: “By building on these findings, we can advance our efforts to pinpoint risk factors for prostate cancer and work towards reducing the number of men affected by this disease.”

They add that while prostate cancer is the most pervasive cancer types, affecting over 13% of men, “modifiable risk factors remain elusive.”

The study also builds on previous research, which has linked pesticide exposure to various cancer types. According to a report in the medical journal Canadian Family Physicians, “Most studies on non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia showed positive associations with pesticide exposure.”

Additionally, “Many studies showed positive associations between pesticide exposure and solid tumors. The most consistent associations were found for brain and prostate cancer. An association was also found between kidney cancer in children and their parents’ exposure to pesticides at work. These associations were most consistent for high and prolonged exposures,” those experts wrote.

As a whole, the research seems to suggest that limiting your exposure to pesticides could help reduce your cancer risk. Speak with your doctor to learn more about risk reduction measures and screenings, which could both lead to better health outcomes.

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