Link between goats and lung cancer? Really?

Amapola

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On one of the goat forums I read I found this link to an article about a study done by the French. The claim is that "commercial exposure" (whatever that might be) to goats can increase the risk of a certain type of lung cancer. The idea is that sheep have a virus that can cause lung cancer in the sheep, and that this will transmit to humans. (Why they are then dragging goats into this is not clear to me.)

The sample size for people with this certain condition was 44... that seems like a small number. Is that normal, to use that small of a sample size? I could not find the actual study, and relied on the article to provide information about how the study was done.

Of course I raise goats and have had them all my adult life. That means I interact with goats twice a day at least... they've got to be fed twice a day no matter what, after all, and then there are all those other things I do - trim feet, give shots, worm etc. I have never heard of any such thing and asked my vet today, and he had not heard of it either.

Anyone know anything about this? I'd sure appreciate more information.
 
Sheep and goats are closely related and could be infected by the same virus ( jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus) that causes the lung cancer. It's possible that humans could get infected by this virus too. The study size is not that small; 44 subjects with the disease were compared to 132 without it and a correlation (5 times more likely) was found with professional exposure to goats (by professional I take to mean where goats are farmed and are in relatively high numbers where virus exposure is more likley).
 
It is always difficult assess scientific data without having looked at the full article (or the elements therein). The viral infection is a plausible mechanism as explained by Capsid. But I notice that one of the authors is quoted for saying:"
These findings demonstrate that exposure to goats could be a risk factor for this type of lung cancer, however further studies are needed to assess other potential risk factors for the disease.
Click to expand...
This suggests, that their data is suitable for hypothesis formation only.
 
Capsid said:
Sheep and goats are closely related and could be infected by the same virus ( jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus) that causes the lung cancer. It's possible that humans could get infected by this virus too. The study size is not that small; 44 subjects with the disease were compared to 132 without it and a correlation (5 times more likely) was found with professional exposure to goats (by professional I take to mean where goats are farmed and are in relatively high numbers where virus exposure is more likley).
Click to expand...

I don't know about where you live, but around here I think that is illegal.
 
"High on a hill was a lonely goatherd, yodel oh-de-lad-e...."

I'm certainly glad I decided on a career in law enforcement rather than goatherding.
 
This has me worried about Marquis' persistent cough.
 
I didn't see it specifically stated in the article, but I assume they have or will control for people who are exposed to lung irritants in dusty or moldy hay or straw bedding, around creatures besides goats.

Also, it feels like there may be some translation issues. They talk about sheep, goats, and then: "This led us to explore the possibility that professional exposure to cattle could make humans more susceptible to P-ADC. " I'm guessing they're using "cattle" in its archaic meaning of livestock-type property, like sheep and goats, not necessarily cows and steers?
 
Yeah, Pup, that confused me too. The switching of species. Also thanks to Capsid for finding the virus. Sheep and goats are closely related but even so they *are* different, and some of these viruses (for example CAE) do not really transmit back and forth between goats and sheep, or if they do, they take different forms and don't really have the same effect.

In all my years of owning goats, I have never once had one get lung cancer (as far as I know - I assume I'd notice) so I had never even heard of the virus involved.

And for the rest of you, you are really missing out by not reading the very fascinating goat forums out there! Why, we have all *sorts* of interesting discussions... like how to castrate, for example, or the best ways of using a disbudding iron. ;)
 
Professional exposure to goats is a translation issue. In the US we call it "occupational exposure".
 
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