THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, February 27, 1995              TAG: 9502270073
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A2   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                         LENGTH: Medium:   53 lines

CANCER LINKED TO HOME PESTICIDES CHILDREN COULD BE AT RISK FROM SPRAYS AND STRIPS, A STUDY SAYS.

Children whose yards were treated with herbicides and insecticides had four times the risk of a certain cancer, says a study that also found smaller risks from other home pesticides.

The study, published in today's American Journal of Public Health, doesn't prove any chemicals are carcinogenic, and experts agreed parents shouldn't overreact. But it does add to growing concern that home pesticide use may be associated with some cancers.

``It shows there may be a public health problem here,'' said Jack Leiss, who performed the study at the University of North Carolina. ``The causes of childhood cancer are basically unknown. Home pesticides are widely used, and the little bit of scientific evidence there is shows children have a large measure of exposure.''

About 8,000 American children get cancer each year, and 1,600 die.

The study compared pesticide use in the homes of 252 Denver children diagnosed with cancer between 1976 and 1983, and those of 222 healthy children with similar demographic characteristics.

Parents were asked whether their homes received professional extermination; whether they applied any yard herbicide or insecticide, either professionally or themselves; and whether they used pest strips.

Children up to age 14 whose yards were treated had four times the risk of soft-tissue sarcomas - malignant tumors of the connective tissue - as their healthy counterparts, said Leiss, now with North Carolina's Center for Health Statistics.

Fetuses exposed to home pest strips during the last three months of pregnancy had three times the risk of leukemia. Children exposed after birth had twice the risk. Professional extermination caused a slightly higher risk, between 1.6 and 1.8 times, of lymphomas.

Dr. Clark Heath of the American Cancer Society urged better research to settle the question. The study, similar to a handful of others that have suggested possible cancer links, didn't measure exposure to specific chemicals and relied on parents' memories, he noted. ILLUSTRATION: PRECAUTIONS

Parents should take common-sense precautions: Hide pesticide

containers and don't let children play on just-sprayed lawns or

floors.

KEYWORDS: PESTICIDES STUDY CANCER by CNB