Denis Henshaw's Column
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Clustering of Childhood Leukaemia and Childhood Cancer in Great Britain -
Response to the COMARE 11th Report
I welcome the COMARE 11th Report confirming that the incidence of
childhood leukaemia and other childhood cancers in Great Britain shows
clustering in a non-random way. This clustering gives us an insight into
possible causes of childhood leukaemia and cancer, in particular, given that it
is acknowledged that leukaemia incidence in children is increasing at around 1
per cent per year in both the UK and Europe, suggesting that environmental or
lifestyle factors may be responsible.
The statement in the Report that the non-random distributions of childhood
cancer could be due to various distributions of carcinogenic risk factors are
welcomed. However, the lack of specific mention of some of the factors widely
reported in the research literature as being linked to childhood leukaemia and
childhood cancer is disappointing. For example, three major studies published
by Professor George Knox of Birmingham University strongly indicate that
petro-chemical pollution, especially from motor vehicle exhausts, is a major
risk factor. Specific links have been found with heavy transport centres,
railways, oil installations and major roads. A twelve-fold increase in risk of
cancer was found in children living within 0.5 km of bus stations.
Last year the largest ever study of childhood leukaemia in relation to
proximity to high-voltage power lines was published by Dr Gerald Draper and
colleagues at the University of Oxford. This study reported increased risk of
leukaemia in children living not only relatively close to power lines (within
200 metres) but also at distances up to 600 metres away.
I agree that the COMARE database will be a very powerful asset in examining
the causes of childhood leukaemia and other childhood cancers. I congratulate
the Committee on producing this Report and hope that the database will be
widely available as a tool for further investigations.
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