Residential proximity to environmental pollution sources and risk of rare tumors in children.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Few epidemiologic studies have explored risk factors for rare tumors in children, and the role of environmental factors needs to be assessed.

OBJECTIVES:

To ascertain the effect of residential proximity to both industrial and urban areas on childhood cancer risk, taking industrial groups into account.

METHODS:

We conducted a population-based case-control study of five childhood cancers in Spain (retinoblastoma, hepatic tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, germ cell tumors, and other epithelial neoplasms/melanomas), including 557 incident cases from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumors (period 1996-2011), and 3342 controls individually matched by year of birth, sex, and region of residence. Distances were computed from the residences to the 1271 industries and the 30 urban areas with ≥75,000 inhabitants located in the study area. Using logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for categories of distance to industrial and urban pollution sources were calculated, with adjustment for matching variables and socioeconomic confounders.

RESULTS:

Children living near industrial and urban areas as a whole showed no excess risk for any of the tumors analyzed. However, isolated statistical associations (OR; 95%CI) were found between retinoblastoma and proximity to industries involved in glass and mineral fibers (2.49; 1.01-6.12 at 3km) and organic chemical industries (2.54; 1.10-5.90 at 2km). Moreover, soft tissue sarcomas registered the lower risks in the environs of industries as a whole (0.59; 0.38-0.93 at 4km).

CONCLUSIONS:

We have found isolated statistical associations between retinoblastoma and proximity to industries involved in glass and mineral fibers and organic chemical industries.

• Authors: Javier García-Pérez, Antonio Morales-Piga, Diana Gómez-Barroso, Ibon Tamayo-Uria, Elena Pardo Romaguera, Gonzalo López-Abente, Rebeca Ramis
• Journal: Environmental research (Environ Res) Vol. 151 Pg. 265-274 (Nov 2016) ISSN: 1096-0953 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 27509487 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Case-Control Studies
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Environmental Pollution (adverse effects)
• Female
• Humans
• Infant
• Male
• Neoplasms (etiology)
• Residence Characteristics (statistics & numerical data)