Lower Cancer Rates Among Druze Compared to Arab and Jewish Populations in Israel, 1999-2009.

The Druze are a small ethnic minority in Israel amounting to about 130,000 residents (or 1.7 % of the total population of the country). Unlike other population groups, the Druze strive to keep their own traditions and marry mainly inside their own community. During the last decade, cancer morbidity among both Jews and Arabs in Israel has been increasing, while data on the Druze are little known and have not been analyzed and compared to other population groups to date. To compare cancer morbidity rates among Druze, Arabs and Jews in Israel during 1999-2009, gender-specific and age-standardized incidence rates of all site cancers and specific cancers of three population groups (Jews, Arabs and Druze) were received from the Israel National Cancer Registry for the period 1999-2009. Based on these rates, periodical incidence rates were calculated and mutually compared across the groups stratified by gender. As the analysis shows, the Druze had significantly lower cancer rates compared to both Arabs and Jews. Thus, for all site cancers, there were significantly higher cancer rates in Jewish males versus Druze males (RR = 1.39, 95 % CI = 1.16-1.65) and in Jewish females versus Druze females (RR = 1.53, 95 % CI = 1.27-1.85), but not statistically significant for Arab males versus Druze males (RR = 1.12 95 % CI = 0.93-1.35). Lung cancer rates in Arab males were also higher compared to Druze males (RR = 1.84, 95 % CI = 1.13-3.00). Jewish males had statistically significant higher rates of prostate cancer compared to Druze males (RR = 2.47, 95 % CI = 1.55-3.91). For thyroid and colon cancers, risks were not significantly different at the 95 % CI level; however, the risks were significantly different at the 90 % CI level (RR = 3.62, 90 % CI 1.20-11.02 and RR = 1.69, 90 % CI = 1.03-2.77, respectively). Jewish females had significantly higher rates of invasive breast cancer (RR = 2.25, 95 % CI = 1.55-3.25), in situ cervical cancer (RR = 4.01, 95 % CI = 1.27-12.66) and lung cancer (RR = 3.22, 95 % CI = 1.12-9.24) compared to Druze females. We thus observed lower cancer rates among Druze versus Arab and Jewish populations in Israel. A reason for these differences may be due to different nutritional habits. Druze still keep a less processed nutritional lifestyle, than is common in industrial society. There may also be other reasons that have not been identified yet.

Cancer risks in the Druze Isifya Village: Reasons and RF/MW antennas.

BACKGROUND: The present study was initiated to examine the claims of the residents of the Druze Isifya Village in Northern Israel that their high cancer rates were associated with the past exposures to radiation from radio and cellular transmitters. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between past exposure to RF/MW transmitters and cancer risks, taking into account familial cancer history, occupational exposures and indicators of life-style. METHODS: We carried out a population-based case-control study involving 307 residents, of whom 47 were diagnosed between 1989 and 2007 with different types of cancer and 260 controls. Cancer diagnoses were obtained from medical the records. Exposure status of individual houses were determined from a map, based on the distances between each house and RF/MW antennas, and were calculated using geographic information systems (GIS) tools. Data on additional risk factors for cancer, like smoking and occupation, were obtained from individual questionnaires. The analysis was adjusted for measures of life style and occupational exposure, and Binary multiple logistic regressions was used, for all cancer sites and for individual cancer types for those cancers with at least 5 documented cases. RESULTS: Past occupational exposures to chemicals (e.g., pesticides) and electronics, were found to be strongly associated with increased cancer risks (all sites: OR=2.79; CI=1.14-6.82; P<0.05), but no discernible trend in overall cancer risk was associated with proximity to sources of past RF/MW radiation exposure (n=47 OR=1.00; CI=0.99-1.02; P>0.4). Colorectal cancer showed a negligible elevated adjusted risk associated with radiation intensity (n=11 OR=1.03; CI=1.01-1.05; P<0.01). CONCLUSION: There was evidence for an increased risk of cancers which were associated with chemicals in manufacturing and agriculture and electronics, where there may have been exposures to EMF, but the study did not confirm the suspicion of increased cancer risks associated with radiation for most cancer types in this village. Misclassification of past exposures could explain the negative finding.