The relationship of the animal population to the occurrence of selected cancers in humans in North Carolina
Description
Viruses can cause cancer in animals and humans. The C-type viruses are etiologic agents in animal carcinomas, sarcomas, leukemias, and lymphomas. Bovine leukemia virus can infect sheep, goats and monkeys and is capable of infecting human cells. Avian leukosis/sarcoma viruses can transform mammalian cells including those of humans and can induce tumor in primates Epidemiological studies have reported increased probability of acquiring specific types of cancer in certain human populations groups. Farmers have been found to have elevated risks for several specific types of cancer such as hematologic and lymphatic malignancies, lip, stomach, prostate and brain cancer. Veterinarians die more often of large intestine cancer, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease and skin cancer. Excess risk of cancer has been found more frequently in slaughterhouse workers and other meat workers. Exposure to animal virus is hypothesized The main objective of the present correlational study was to examine whether there is a relationship between the presence of animal populations which harbor oncogenic viruses and the occurrence of selected human cancers--hemopoietic/lymphatic tissue, lung, esophagus buccal cavity, colon, kidney, bladder--in North Carolina. Additional Monte Carlo simulation was done to speculate on the probability of high correlation between the presence of animals and human cancer deaths Results were consistent with previous findings. The main findings are as follows: (1) Monocytic/myeloid leukemias and lymphomas were correlated with the presence of bovine. (2) Myeloma and lung cancer were correlated with the presence of pigs. The pig/area index correlated with lung cancer. (3) There were suggested correlations between the presence of pigs and the occurrence of lymphatic leukemia, esophagus, bladder, kidney, buccal and pharynx cancer in humans. (4) Simulation results raised the possibility of significant higher correlation between human esophagus cancer with the presence of hogs. (5) Farming was highly correlated with all but three cancer types: lung, colon, and lymphomas. (6) Human colon cancer deaths were not correlated with any animal population