An April 2008 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found a possible connection between women who are regularly exposed to pesticides or herbicides on the job and the risk of developing a specific form of brain cancer.

Researchers found women exposed to herbicides while at work faced a two-fold higher risk of meningioma than women with no exposure. Meningiomas are tumors in the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord, and are one of the most common forms of brain tumor.

Several previous studies have linked farming and heavy exposure to pesticides to an increased risk of brain cancer. The 2008 study found the risk increased as the years women were exposed to herbicides increased.

Source: ?Work exposure to weed killers tied to brain cancer,? Reuters Health, May 2, 2008.